The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01
TIE Whisky cRooKEDNEss.

THE WHISKY CR00KEDNEsS.
The lull that has prevailed for few weeks
mast in the war on the whisky thieves has
been broken during the past week by some
pretty lively guerrilla warfare and at least
one substantial victory for the government
The guerilla business is apparently conduct
ed in behalf of Babcock, who seems deter
mined not to stand fair and full trial before
ST. Louis jury. On an intimation week
aro that Joyce was ready TO squeal II par
don was granted him. and that his evidence
would not only be strong against BabcocK,
hut other high officials, the prosecution at 81
Louis made a strong appeal to the President
for his pardon, but the attorney general re-
piled that the pardon would not be granted
This was vicio, No. for Babcock.
Then the Chicago Inter-Ocean of the 10Th
creates decided sensation by bold splurge
apparently in the interest of Babcock prima
rlly, but generally IN favor Of all the whisky
thieves, by four column article, including
pretended interviews with various parties ana
sensational comments. The upshot OF all
being, first, to involve Secretary Bristow him
self in the crooked whisky business by In
sipaating that he had brothers-in'law or broth
ers of brothers-in.law engaged in making
crooked whisky in Louisville, Cincinnati,
&C., and that before be was appointed Score
tary of the Treasury, he acted as attorney and
adviser of the thieves; and secondly intimat'
ing that though Babcock himself was really
innocent of the charges made against him IN
connection with crooked whisky, he knew
great deal on the subject and could make
revelations that would crush certain parties
high in posiuon-meaning Bristow-and that
he was now in negotiation with Randall Tor
the appointment OF an investigating commit
tee by the house, before which Babcock would
make clean breast Of it; and that Babcock's
nduccment to "confess" before such CON-
mittee was all the greater because that would
bar his further prosecution before the court
in st. LOUIS. Something like this was the
substance of the Iater.Ocean's splurge. IN
happily it was SO palpably and purely IN the
interest of the thieves, and so evidently die
tated alone by malice against BristoT, with
out one solid fact to lean on, that the kite has
fallen harmless to the ground and the I-O,
overwhelmed with imprecations, is rapidly
crawfishing out of the scrape its zeal to earn
its pay from the thieves had led it into.
And this last bold dash Of the InterOcedH
in behalf OF the thieves having thus signally
failed, the whele Chicago: ring, involving
fifteen indicted distilers, with numerous
small fry, OH Wednesday stepped forward IN
a body and uttered one united, shrill, ear
piercing, heartrending squeal! They were
beguiled into this step by the offer of the gov
eminent to let them off with simple fine, an
offer which, to men who for six months past
had been staring with raised hair at the
yawning doors of the penitentiary, was lire
sistible. The squeaiing of the fifteen brought
into the meshes dozen of other distlllers
who had hitherto lodged an Indictment bat
who, on the evidence of the sQueelers, are
now also seized The same generous offer
that was made to the others is extended 10
these, and under the circumstances 1t is more
than likely that they will accept II, 80 thas
the prosecution of the whisky ring in Chica-
90 may be regarded as virtually at an end,
all the accused having confessed their guilt
and made..restitution to the government of the
amount they had stolen.
The government, IN this leniiy, however,
has another object IN view. While the manu-
facturers, rectifers, dealers, &c, thus get of
easily, the government expect in return such
evidence from them as will unearth the
agency of the government. officials at Chicago
as accessories to the frauds. How far this
will prove a success remains to be seen. The
result up to yesterday was that five ex-gaug-
ers had gone into the confessional and told
what they knew, but with Mum, Wadsworth,
Hoyt and q score of others still shiverlng
outside, 1t is believed the Bristows lightning
cannot fail yet to strike some taller timber
than mere gaugers and underlings.
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