, 1876-03-26

The "laying down" and "squealing," and
other performances, which, in the current
highly-e1pressive slang, signify confession of
guilt and effort to make the best terms with
the Government by the parties indicted for
completely in the Chicago Whisky Ring, have
ceased and the first square stand-up fight
against one Of the indictments, made by
PAHLMAN and RusH, is in progress in the
United States Court. The case has been
stoutly contested; the testimony has taken q
wide range; the croas-e1aminationB have
been searching; and che result of it has been
that food Of light has been let in upon the
operations of the Whisky-Ring here OF
course the other sldo remains to be heard,
and the folly and injustice Of attempting to
pass upon the merits until It shall have been
heard is obvious. But the query that inevi-
tably presents itself upon the testimony ad-
duced by the Government is, What defense
can be made that will avail to overcome the
apparently invincible array Of proof not only
against PAH1atAN and RUSH, but against other
parties awaiting trial, and in whose interest
obviously the cross-examinations Of Witnesses
for the Government have been made
JUSKER and his partner RoEL1E, of the rec
tifying firm, both testified directly, and with
only such minor variations in their testimony
as tend to show that it was not preconcert-
ed, that, for an extended period, they regu-
larly and systematically received and dis
posed Of the crooked from the defendants
under the arrangement with them for de-
fraudinS the revenue; that the steal was
operated by the simple device Of stamping
spirits ns Of 100 proof the actunl proof of
which was 1880 that to fifteen barrels of
it, at rough estimate, fourteen barrels of
water had to be added to reduce it to 100
proof, or, in other words, SO that the Govern
ment was oheated out of nearly one-ha]f the
tax; that, to further increase the steal, the
stamps (Which under the law should be de-
stroyed, having been used only to cover the
spirits in transit, for which other stamps are
Issued to the rectifers) were regularly re-
moved from the barrels, and the next dey
returned to PAHLMAN and RusH to be
placed upon other barrels Of spirits,
so that A:they were made to do double
RoELLE WIS corroborated in the main partic-
ulars by RoE1Lz's son; by the bookkeeper
by tho Government Storekeeper, MUELLER,
who with charming nasutte swore that $1.25
per barrel tempted him, and that, after wrest-
ling with his conscience fourteen days, he
fell :" into the arrangement by MATTERs,
another Storekceper, who swore he vas proof
against offers of s., but that he also fell for
S. so per barrel, and assisted in the steal ns
well as incidentally thereto perjn1ing himself
in making his Official reports by BEEoHER,
Gauger, whose conscience was satisfied with
nothing less than 50 per barrel for his por-
ton on divide Of the plumber, and who in e1-
planat;on or justification, or both, swore that
it was JAKE REEA who seduced him, leaving
it to be, Of course. inferred that his conscience
was not reconciled to less than So per barrel,
that he might nake up for lost time by
Il Gauger, who also received his
price, and as IN additional return therefor
conveyed advance information to the Ring of
to be made BY Revenue officials;
and By BzcKER, the runaway Storekeepe1, who
confessed that he had been foolish enough
rogue to take the note of the distillers for
part of his price, and that, though RcsH
paid him $500, the firm had repudiated the
note, leaving his villainy unrewarded. In
addition Was The testimony OF FoRo, Of the
ssctfying firm Of FoxD. 0117xR L. Co., that