The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-01
FUNNY FIRE.WATER.
The Crooked Whisky Business.
The Grand Jury Still at Work.

There were still the same deep whisperings
and mutterings around the Custom House on
the crooked whisky ject Monday morning.
What was going to be done and wnat Was not,
amounted to something startling
representative of the BULLETIN took an
early morning cruise through the various LII.
ternal Revenue Offices for the purpose Of
cleaning what the government agents might
have left behind them in their reapipg, and
here and there few sheaves of grain were
found of some interest to the public
Desiring to know why it was the officers
here had failed to discover the existence here
of the humpoack whiskies, the reporter in
qnired OF the officials relative to the matter
and was informed that it Was impossible for
them here to tell that which had paid the du-
ties in 81. Louis a I'D elsewhere regularly from
the CROOKED" Whisky shipped here proper
ly stamped and branded, bore on itself no
possible evidence Of IFS having been illegally
passed through inspectors and guagers.
The only way the revenue officers here
could possibly detect it would be only after
an examination OF the returns sent to WASH
ington by the St. Louis and other disti!leries
These returns would show the numbers be-
longing to each barrel paying duty, the GUAM
tity and proof.
If, after an examination of this data, it was
| found that cur merchants had barrels having
duplicate numbers. or barrels properly mum
bered with a higher proof, then the evidence
OF guilt would be plain. After the ST. Louis
trials, much testimony has accumulated rela-
tive to the amount OF whisky distiile d unlaw-
fully, and the government is tracing these
crooked quantities to their final disposition
| of 1onb
twenty-four hours work to Washington, and
these when compared to his shipments, wi
serve as a check enc to the other.
! Inquiry developed the fact that last year
the amount OF whisky received here was in
the neighborhood of forty Thousand barrels,
but how much of this was umpbacked can
not now be told. if there was any at all.
Around the District Attorneys Office there
was mysterious moving in and ouF, and the
work of the day was being arranged SO as to
push matters AS fast as possible.
AS considerable time is requiredto draft in
dictments, even after the finding of the Grand
Jury. l. is not probable tina. those brought
in on Saturday will be signed and tine parles
arrested before Tuesday.
Mr. John Cockrem and David Power were
before the Grand Jury the greater part of the
day, and it is reported that they wen, over the
full statement of the whisky business here
and the receipts at this point.
IN THE COURT ROOM.
At IL o'clock, according to a request of the
Marshall, Messrs. John Henderson. John ].
Ryan, VIM. Flash, j. 4. Lewis, f. p
Mathews, A. S. Coward, JAS. A. Girdner and
L. A. Saxon, appeared In court in answer to
a capias, based on the Grand Jury's &C ion
Saturday They were arraigned, the reading
of the indictment waived, the bond fixed at
$1,000 for EACH
Mr.. Cowand's surety was jos. Lula; John
Henderson's was Hon. Michael Hahn: John
j. Ryans was George Rice. The others not
having their surenes in court, delay was
given them to produce sureties.
The Indictments against these parties are
The same as that sgains; John A. Walsh. The
ground Of the charge that they failed when
demanded BY the Internal Revenue officer to
deliver to him their wholesale liquor books as
required by the Revenue Act.
1t was reported outside the Grand Jury
room that the case up for examination Mon
day morning was that OF the Evansville B,ng-
ham whiskes, and that as only the tounda.
ton Of the matter could be laid in one day,
that it was probable no more indictments
would be presented until Tuesday after their
session.
The Internal Revenue Collector ana the
books OF his office were examined, and his
At 1890 P. NJ. Mr.. J. M, Lewis appeared
and signed bond for VIM. Flash, John A.
Lewis, J. A. Girdner, L. A. Saxon and T. r.
Mathews, each for the sum OF $4,000.
The firm of Flash, Lewis a Co., are the
well known wholesale grocers OF our CT y, and
have dealt in whisky only for the benefit of
customers. Their business was that of buy
ing and selling only, and the absence OF their
liquor books was owing. they say, to their
having been misplaced-one book having
already been found since the revenue Officers
visit
The Grand Jury yesterday afternoon after
some hours consideration, returned into court
with another indictment, which Was ordered
to be spread on the secret minutes. From
information gathered in prominent govern.
ment circles we learned that this last indict-
ment is against the firm of Behan, Thorne & !
Co., and charges them with failing to deliver |
their books when demanded.
AT THE ST. CHARLES RoTUNDA
those intereste in crooked vhisky gathered
to discuss the coming developments. Gen.
Brady and his assistant were in close consul,a-
ton during the evening and were busy pre-
pairing tor to-day's labors. A repseptarine of
the BULLETIN visited them during the evening
and was entertained with their disq1isitions |
on the laws bearing upon the Cases already
filed.
Under the statute the penalty for refusing
or failing to deliver books TO revenue officer /
is $500 to $1,000 fine and from three months /
to one years imprisonment.
The government is perfectly satisfied With |
the evidence a. cumulated, and the internal !
revenue Officials express themselves as being |
sanguine OF carrying their cases through sue
cessfuIly. |
Notwithstanding many impedments. they I
have managed to secure enough, they say, to
meet their anticipatons. The present indict-
ments are not the heaviest to be fought. Un-
der the statute there are penalties for the |
slightest infraction of its letter. but as in
Evansville; St. Louis and Cincinnati, the ma
jor number Of convictions were under what
is called tine conspiracy clause, which pun
ishes for conspiring in order to defraud tn
r. venues 50 it will be here. 1t is under
this probably the next indictments will be
laid.
From the reports shown by Gen. Brady, it
appears that there have been very large guam