The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-11-30
How He Aided the
Whisky Frauds.
THE MISSING LINK IN BABCOCK'S
Case SUPPLIED.
WHY AVERY WAS SACRIFICED
Documentary Testimony of Corrup-
ton in the White House.
WASHINGTON. November d. 1875.

WASHINGTON, November 2l, 1876,
The pardon of william o. Avery, who was con.
victed on the charge of conspiring with Mcdonald
Joyce, and others to defraud the United States OF
the re venue from whisky manufactured At s..
Louis, enables me 10 give part of the inside his.
tory Of the Whisky Ring prosecutions, and the 20.
litical complications growing out Of them, which
have lu lttI Rt litGly huettiue 10 difClCie
In order that the general public may properly un.
derstand these disclosures itisnecessary 10 briefly
review the prosecutions Of the 81. Louis Whisky
Ring conspiratoH.
The investigation which led TO the discovery of
the existence Of widespread conspiracy to de-
fraud The Government by the anuiacture and
disposal Of Illicit spirits in st. Louis Chicago and
Milwaukee began about the middle Of February,
1875 Mr.. Brstow, then Secretary Of the Treas
ury, had had some experience in carrying out re.
forms, and fully appreciated the opposition he
would have to encounter in this last and greatest
un derlakiDg Although but six months in office,
he had learned how serious matter II was to at.
tempt to eradicate organized corruption and pu.
rity of the Administration with the great bulk of
the leaders of bis party in opposition, while he
was constantly in doubt respecting the intentions
of his tfiCial chief.
BEGINNING TO FIGHT THE RINGS.
His first encounter with political corruption and
crime was in the investigation Of the safe burglary
conspiracy, a duty impose d by joint resolution
of both Houses of Congress After infinite diff.
culties the guilt of some Of the miscTeants who,
at the instigation Of the chiefs of the Washington
Ring, had procured the safe in the District Attor.
ney's office to be blown open with the purpose of
falsely fast enug a crime on innocent men, was
made apparent, and the Chief Of the Secret Ser.
vice Division of the Treasury Department, with
several of his principal subordinates and Assist.
ant District Attorney General Harrington, were
indicted. 1t was not, however, till conclusive
proof of the guilt Of the Chief OF the Secret Service
Division was furnished that Secretary Bristowcould
venture to ask for his resignation. Indeed, there
was time during the progress of the inquiry
when it was more probable that the Solicitor Of
the Treasury, who was prosecuting 1t under the
secretary's order, would be removed by the Presi-
dent in obediel ce to the demands of Babcock
Shepherd, and Attorney General Williams. This
failed because Solicitor Wilson succeed ed after
almost incredible efforts in fastening the guilt of
conspiracy on Whitley and Harrington the two
men Babcock, Shepherd, Williams were mostanx.
Service Division one of the most important dvs-
ions of :the Treasury Department, as matter of
course, followed. All this, however, had arrayed
against Mr.. Brlstow not only the vast and varied
In huence of the District Ring, but had excited the
hostility of Attorney General Williams, whose re-
lations with Whitley, the deposed Chief of the Sc
cret Service Division, had been of the most init.
mate character, and who was, beyond peradven-
ture deeply compromised with him In the infs.
NOUS perjuries and subornatiOn of perjury by
which the Ku.Klux outrsges were worked up,
and carpet.bag rascalities in the South made for
the time being, in comparison with the instgAted
cruelties to negroes and white Republicans to ap.
pear less odious to the Northern mind
A LADY's RING.
The Seal Lock fraud was the next subject that
attracted the attention of Secretary BristOw.-
While the investigation of this was in progress
Senator John ], Patterson of South Carolina en-
deavored to stop it, but when he approached the
Secretary on the subject he was met with the fol-
lowing answer: Senator, l am pushing that
matter vigorously and my hope is that in few
months shall have all the prominent operators
in the penitentiary" This was home thrust for
Patters on was one Of the prominent operators
and of curse his enmity toward the Secretary was
assured from that interview. TheSeai Lock COM
bination was not dependant, however on the in.
Auence of the carpet.beg Senators. S. P. Brown,
one of the members of the Washington Ring, was
interested in the swindling concern and he had at
his hack the influence of the solid delegation,
Representatives and Senators from Maine. More
over, Mrs. Minnie Benton, very intimate friend
of the President was a stock holder in the Ameri
can Seal Lock Company ane on more than ond oc'
caslon her influence had turned the scale in favor
of Brooks, Roddy Co., when competing lock in
yentiops had secured a foothold inside the Treas
ury Department. But all these combinations
failed at last and MI Bristow ordered the contract
with the American Seal Lock Company to be an
nulled on the ground of fraud
THE NOTED A. G. CATTELL APPEARS.
In turn came the contest over the appointment
of financial agent of the Government to supervise
its interests in connection with the European OPP
rations of the Syndicate Mr.. A. G. Cattell had,
by the combined influence of Secretary Robson
and Jay Cooke & Co. held that position and rem
dered great Service to Jay Cooke & Co. here and
Jay Cooke, McCuloch q Co. in London during the
panic of 1878. He was party to the conspiracy
TO divert the funds Of the Navy Department from
their proper use TO sustain the tottering house OF
Jay Cooke McCulloch & Co.; but this criminal
tran sacton was the least of his wrong doings For
the services he had rendered to Robson and the
c ookes his reapponiment was insisted upon but
Brstow refused to make it. Finding thatthe Sec.
retary was not to be moved, recourse was had to
the President who demanded the appointment
and now will quote the language of Gen. H. V.
Boynton, the intimate personal friend of Secretary
Bristow, from the october number of The North
American ReuielO:
The Secretary of the Treasury assured the Presi.
dent that he had positive evidence to prove that
the app ointment would be in the interest Of dis
honesty and on that account he absolutely de-
cined to make It, in spite of all this those oppOS-
ing him thought they might succeed, and contin.
ued to press their demand upon the President,
The latter hesitated and the many COnspirators
against the Treasury took courage. All the Rings
in w ashingtol were brought into play to worry
and annoy the Secretary ON other points, with the
view of so increasing the discomforts ofhisposion
as to a i'd indirectly in inducing his retirement,
Instead, he defeated the whole force by announc-
Ing that he would not appoint Cattell under any
circumstances and II he left the Cabinet In conse.
quence the country should know the facts and
understand how thieving had triumphed in the
Cabinet of the President
A FRAUDULENT COTTON CLAIM.
Not long after this contest over Cattells appoint
ment, came another dificulty-the investigasion
of the means emnloyed To mass through the Treas.