, 1876-08-17
RElIM EFT AL.
Tho Government Counsel and the
Chicago Whisky Cases.
MIR. Dextcr Throws Some Light
on All Obscure Subject.
WHY the First Batch Managed
to Get orr So Easily.
Using the Testimony Of Accompl[ces..'
Lot Us Hare No pnrtlous.

10 tht Editor 1 the Trtehns.
CHICAGO, Aug. 1G.-On my return from the
North, Ind that was summoned to appear at
Washington before tho Committee lnyeat!Cat-
tuc the whisky cascs, hut did not reccive tho
summons In time. In looking through the ah-
stracts of evidence given before the Com
mittec, find statements touching the general
conduct of tile WHISKY cases at Chicago, us well
as tho character Of prominent men, that ought
not to 60 unanswered.
When called Into The Chicago whisky cascs
last autumn found That fifteen indictments
l,all been returned agalnst llstillcrs known rs
thc first batch. At no Nmc did II seem To tho
Government counsel that more tllan SIX OF these
could bc convicted; subsequently, became ol
tic opinion that We could secure conviction 10
but three tlses. Some Of the pcrsoue Indicted
were prominent disll!lcrs, against whom VIC
founl no cvit9cuec whatever. What were VIC 10
dot PrJrec1 to trial nlId convict tho tlirtc ol5'
ti,lcrs, which woul,l leave the Chicago Whisky
Hing unbro1scn, Or, by using thcln rs "lt'lesscsi
secure more EVIDENCE. -.,
j. should he borne IL mind that In granting
Immunity to such nf tle first hatch as wc ilMi
no evidence against, We lost nothing: alid fiEut
here no small portion Of the public nave iailet,
Into mn error TINT has rrodnsca good Heal o!
unjust criticism upon tho GovSrnniclt olheersi
which is, that tl,p tiovcrnnc,lt held evidence to
fart, % Conviction could not have been obtained
against ono in tun Counting intlietmcnts aEalnst
augers aud 6torekeepers as %e'l, a. ta'nfe M Who ~,
Government. T!ts fact could not oe tl1ada pub.
liz wItLnut iutr.ypg nur ease.
Ah,ut thstlmc Mi. Tuition aud Spcela'- a'-nctcct-
I've Wasy,rn appeared In Chicago, aud, when In
fpru,c,l that We prpIAscl 10 use thu first batch
ia States evidence, thcy strcuuously ub]cc.etf,
particularly Mr. Tnttnn.
it is sufficient answer IT, these gentlemen to
La.1 halls r1tsfpn hOn mi luD1 tina
Chicago Whisky Ring would hive tccM III full
yiror to.slay.
With the evidence furnished by tho first
aIaant na.9'i OF Of pr"psriy aud sted IiesE Rc,
buffalo Miller, 1uyt, Bridges, Burroughs, and
utl.ers.
Again the public rushed 70 tho conclusion
that u!l these parties coud l,e convicted, ap-
parcntly @ forgetting tat, II tho Governmcnt l,ad
secured solnc ryideuce anl was convinced Ut
The guilt Ut tie Indicted pnrtics, It might trust
something To further developments -, At all
events, tllis was the only policy oi.n The tiny-
crnu,cnt counsel were nut reapunsiblc for the
absc,,cu of evidence. They were ,lol1,s the best
they could With s.lch material NJ they hull
iii, that tho complete exposure md destruction
OF ito entire Isng WIS ,nurc Important than the
punishment of auy Individual.
As these rusca now stsnl, there were pending
a 1nrre number ut criminal prosecutions unil
suits ios condemnation nf PROPERTY. The tlny-
crlncnt counsel did not feel that they hNtl got
10 The hottorn Of the Ct,tls,irary, nor were they
really 10 psucccd 70 trial During. this delay,
trict.Atiorncy Bangs sent m II statement of
evidence tint ltcl,tli could give. It WIS ut once
submitted to Atturney Gsnrral plcrrcpont and
secretary Dristow. They M.td u mlght lo bo
make ihc icst arrangement they could to secure
Rch,l's evidence It was thought TINT kt:liIn's
.yidcuce, bucked by his thorough knowledge uf
~
pending rrinlEl,a And civil prosecutions. The
Jesuit 5ustitica this view, for, so0n rs J:chm's
evidence WIS accepted, .Iesing l,iiIatn Miller,
villa IiSyt and Bridges ran % away, and tic toy,
ertI,ntnt nj the same ul.lr secured large
amount Of property.
The public sec1ncd to measure tho strength Of
Ug,r casa BIZ their detcslatIun Of the n;lrtice
spee @t ssa sye % n not 10 veT oy esr ss fG ILL.,
statements furnished u tl.s Government vii
' she Witnesses s themselves. We i csfiaiuly ii
means Of Determining Tits question not nrcn To
lie public. And every lawyer k,lnws that wlcn
ic sits dow, 10 hls case IL Is compelled to take
int, pccouut a thousand things touching Tho
quality uf hts evidence Of which tho public can
fnnw notniMc, Nur il Il safe To rOt,ciutic tint
lMaase q min ultimately, plcalel guilty tl,at
conviction. | entertained crave doubts, viii,
Tic evidence VIC |WJ, US 4, our ability to colt
ytct Kcl,,,; whether wla right no man living
sau guy who ltis not carefully scrutttzctl III,
cylt,rngc aud investigated tlu hlstury Of Tic
witnesses.
Our belief In Rehm'e guilt was as strong IA
anyIody's eouid be, hut, az lawyers, we must be-
rr{tIcd by the eyillcncc 5ye could bring iutu
Court, and We ali thought Il wIsr to delay aid
secure as many convictions as possible bY con.
i'I' II / nm rich. In nv facts, then the Govern.
tncnt counsel took ihc only course opo,, IL
them, md to oppose that course, whether 50 IN,
1unIed or not, ia to ou,>osD tho only In,.uslIrrs
tlul ey,uil break thr Chirago Whisky iijnT, ii
mn yronr.-IlronD[,1r VitiIneruiitn. oi whIrl,
VIC havo liad c,loueh alrcady, und Which does
not, an my subject, nld q ray u lIEht or cull.
tribute O aingy particle to lie sui of luU1u,
inlnrtnatton,-I will thank some 0np 10 roI,,t
out some other coursc, nut as tic segregation n
enthusiasm or feeling, but soulu 0tiiCr rourst
warranted by the evidence iii our possession.
Iu thu way Of results, this can bu fairly
claimed: This Chicago Whisky Hing ia Thor
tN,yhly expostu and scatterrfl rhr n,eu WIN