The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-02-07
SAD SCENES.
Arrival Of the Indianapolis Crooked
Whisky Convicts at the State
Prison South.
THE CONDEMNED CROWD.

SCENES, INCIDENTS AND INTERVIEWS WITH
THEM.
The Courier-JournsI of yesterday says:
That was sad scene at the State Prison
South, in Jacksonville at o'clock yester-
day afternoon, when the crooked whisky
men sentenced by Judge Gresham,
stepped inside the gloomy building and
the ponderous iron doors closed upon them.
They were men who had tor long years oc-
cupied high social positions and were num-
bered as good and honest citizens. In
Evansville, Ind, where they mostly re-
sided, no class of men stood higher, and
their arrest, trial, conviction and sentences
have struck the people of that section with
Consideration. They at first could not be-
lieve that such men as McGriff, Munford,
Hill and others could be guilty OF the
crimes charged and even yet they scarcely
believe 1t, and look upon the whole trans
action in the light of horrid dream. They
find it hard to realize that more than
DOZEN OF THEIR PROMINENT CITIZENS
could be guilty of frauds upon the govern
ment. But il is true, or at least so hath said
q jury of their peers, who swore that they
were unprejudiced and would carefully and
impartially weigh the evidence adduced and
give in their verdict accordingly. That YER
dict was guilty" and the penitentiary was
the punishment decreed by the court
In conformity with the sentence
passed, the crooked victims were
received at the prison as stated.
Their names and terms of sentence are as
follows: James X. Hill, two years and six
months; bert McGriff, two years; William
Munford, two years; David M. Lewis, two
years; Geo. t. Simonson, Phillip G. Eber-
wine, two years; Harrison Miller, two
years; John Z. Phillips, two years, and
Hiram B. Snyder, two ears. The sentence
r IT 81 81
for violation of the revenue laws. The pris-
oners were delivered to the custody of
Warden Howard by Mr.. /. s. Bigelow,
deputy United States marshal for Indiana.
IN THE HORRIBLE GLOOM.
The convicted men were taken into the
directors Office of the prison. where they
were allowed to take leave of their friends,
several accompanying them from Indisnap-
lis to the prison. A Courier-Journal re-
porter was allowed to go into the ROOM and
converse short time with the prisoners.
This he could do the more readily, as be had
attended their trials at Indianapolis, and had
q speaking acquaintance with the prisoners.
On entering the room the first man noticed
by the reporter was Albert McGriff the
gauger. He was sitting on a smoking
lounge with his face buried in his hands, the
picture of grief and despair. The reporter
touched him lightly on the shoulder, when he
started and raised his head. His face looked
carewOrn and hsggard, and his eyes were
suffused with tears. He is an old man, the
frosts OF sixty winters having whitened his
hair. He has an open, frank and honest
countenance, and would be taken for gen.
tleman whenever and wherever met. " Mr..
McGrin, Pm sorry to see you here; be-
lieved that you were more sinned against
than SHINING, and hoped you would pull
through" cit was no use; my counsel did
! \ g. -
pause, ne continued: My God, to think
thst | would ever come to place like this;
il will kill me, my heart is crushed now"
He spoke in a voice deep with emotion, and
was greatly sgitated. Words of cheer were
spoken TO him by the reporter, but they fell
on the ears of
MISERABLE AND HEART-BRoKEN OLD MAN.
"If it were rot for my poor wife and son 1
believe 1 could stand it, but to think OF the
disgrace brou hit upon them is more than /
can bear. It will kill my wife. She is sick
now, and this will kill her, but there Is one
consolation: She knows am innocent OF
the charge. j. Bingham lied on me-cruelly
and maliciously lied. He never paid me
dollar in his life, and he knows it well. By
ron Bingham, his brother, told me at the
Grand Hotel, in indianapolis, in the pres
once OF the United States marshal, that he
knew nothing against me, and he did rot
believe was in the ring. spoke of this at
terward, when John Bingham found it out,
and that Is why he swOre that his brother
Byron knew nothing about the money he
John Binghsm-swore that he paid me.
While l was at home sick, they raised the
stamps and di the dumping on me, and
L swear to you that 1 am an innocent man."
The above was given TO the reporter In a
broken voice, and the speaker would often
pause in lis narration. He said thst his
Nrrff IS sQQrz OH on hot he had he
married 80 years. Was warm in the praise
OF bis son, who had stood nobly by him du
ring his long trial. McGriff was we'll know
ard highly respected at Evansville, being
for seven years the city clerk OF that place
and leading member of the PRESBYTERIAN
Church. His trial and conviction have told
heavily upon him, and those who know him
well state that be looked ten years older yes
terdsy than he did two months ago. Heis a
man or high nervous temperament and IL
IS was with The utmost difficulty that be
could keep up yesterday. He was almost
entirely le: down. With all this be has the
heart disease, aud it is the general opinion
among his friends that he will not long sur
vive ais imprisonment. He is indeed to be
pitied.
HE MADE UP his MIND TO STAND 1T.
James K. Hill displayed more true grit
yesterday than the other prisoners. He
seemed cheerful, and said that he had made
up his mind to stand it, and that he could
stand as much as any other living man.
Hill is pleasant, gentlemsnly looking per
son, with heavy black, glossy whiskers.
When playfully told that it would be hard
on him to lose his fine whiskers, he said:
"They won't cut off my whiskers, will
they % and exhibited some emo
ton. When told that they would
be cut, be said that he was sorry, as he
had always hidden an ugly scar ON his
right cheek with his whiskers. Hill has an
extensive acquaintance in Indiana, and is
well known in this city. He was deputy
revenue collector at Evansville. He re-
asserted his Innocence yesterday. He is
forty-three years old, and has wife and
eight children, but bis friends will not allow
them TO suffer. rreerrs aIi fsf
PHILLIP O EBERwINE WAS SAD AND SILENT,
having nothing TO say to any one, but