The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-25
AIDING THE WHIJKEY RING
IxLCUTIVB IkTBRFERENCB WITH
TIlE OURSE or JUSTICE.

Pierrcponts Extraordinary Letter 10 tue
U. =. District ATTORNEYS In the Wcs,'
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-The House OF
Representatives OF Monday last took the initia-
tory step In tho proposed Investigation OF tho
conspiracy to interfere with the WhiskeV ltng
prosecutions, by calling upon the Attorney
General to inform the House "by what authority
and for what purpose be recently gave instruc-
uons to bis bordinates. alleged to be IN con-
PREVENTION Of the congratulated rules relative
70 the testimony Of accomplices In criminal
actions"
The exact situation In the whiskey Ring pros
ecutions at the particular juncture at which the
ATTORNEY q enefals Instructions to District AT
torneys Dyer, Bangs, and Mckinney were issued
has never been made plain to the public. Hai
the people possessed a perfect understanding OF
what the President and his friends expected TO
accomplish by this letter Of instructions, the In
dienation which has been so universally ex-
pressed thereat would have been greatly inten-
sined.
Grant and rierrep ont had failed to prevent
Babcock's Indictment at Fl. Louis, because
District Attorney Dyer. supported by Secretary
Brlstow, refused to accedo to the proposition
that the evidence should first be submitted to
the Attorne, General aud Its sufliciency passed
upon by him before It was submitted to the
Grand Jury for ite action. Failing In this
man9uvte, the next move was to order court
OF inquiry, which It was hoped would obtain
possession OF the evidence and keep 1t until the
Grand Jury at st. Louis vas DISCHARGED, an oc-
cufrenoe daily expected. But ,gain Mr.. DYER
proved intractable and declined to obey tho
Attorney Gene rails order to turn over the eyi.
deuce TO the military tribunal.
THE INDICTMENT OF BABcocK
followed close on the heels OF this, and then
tha la hs "a,
Hancock to the court OF inquiry, which com
PEELED Its adjourn nent. 1t was now manifest
that Babcock must take the chances Of a trial
In a court Of Justice like any other accused per-
son. Public opinion awed even Grant, and he
dared not order anolle prosequi to be entered In
the case. as more than one OF bis desperate Ring
friends begged him to do.
The oulS hope, therefore, for Dabcock was to
break down tue case against him by lntimidating
the Government witnesses. The documentary
part Of the evidence might be explained or
thrown out Of the court " the iniOrmeis could
be intimidated and prevented from testifying
return FROM Europe aud nad been promised Inn
n unity ,or ms past oneaces proyiaed he would
with the Ring. mu-t be frightened away at all
hazards. He ana all like him. who were to tes-
NY inst bcock, must he made to realize
that the Secretary OF the Treasury was not the
Government, and that II they went on the stand
they did so with rope about their necks, 10y
which the President, through the Attorney
General, could swirg them on despite the prom
iFeb W ticihenC1 10 lntu pt BTlsLOW
Thus was the situation In st. Louis as It affect
ed Babcock, out the Attotney-6eneral's letter
was TO go still further and shield her crimi-
mails. The readers Of HE SUN are already
familiar with the history OF The Chicago and
milwaukee, cOnCenttlc COmDinatiOn TO uefr I'd
the Government, and with the characters Of the
principal personages who played the leading
parts In these games OF fraud md corruption.
These Rings were successful In defving the Sec
rotary the Treasury from May, ls,5to January,
1876. During all these months tue solicitor OF
the treasury. MT. wilson, the right n
secretary Bfistow IN the war against ORGANIZED
most secret, but II was not until near tue close
OF the year that breach was effected IN the ser
ried ranks Of the corIuptionists. There had
been some ten or fifteen est tOlishments seized
In Chicago on the ION Of last May, and among
them were some OF the largest rectifyina houses
In the city. Now a rectifying house IS an indls-
uensable adjunc' to a distilery that Is to be run
crooked. IL i only by the medium OF the rec
ana with toerabe safety be put upon tue mar.
ket; Hence 1t Is that the rectiheIs neces-
BADLY
THE PossEssoRs OF EVIDENCE
against the manufacturers of Illicit spirits and
n, IL tbey viii, give them and all Their fellow
conspirators away. In Chicago, the re TN rs
who had done the mot extensive crooked busi-
ness we're Gulsen q Eastman. The latter
the friend OF j. Russell Jones, whom he mad
served while a member Of the state Legislature
In securing the passage of the act extending the
charter OF the Chicago street Railway companies
TO make terms with the Government and get of
as easily a. possible lie was really mere ngure-
toe business was concerned. lie knew some
thing about IL, perhaps but was not aware Of
the extent OF the frauds his house was assisting
to perbetfate till after IL had been seized, ana
himself aud partner indicted. For more than a
year Frank Eastman mad been almost a con-
hrned drunkard, hut his Indictment sobered him,
and he began to cast about for some means Of
escape from me penitentiary, winch stared him
In tue face. His partner, Golsen, Is a shrewd,
long headed jew, and was the repository Of
many Of the political secrets Of the Ring, In
addition to eyidence wbicn would cause the
SEIZURE and cOnhscation OF nearly AL the distil-
lefies in Chicago. He saw the trouble they were
III, and gave Eastman a hint OF v hat he knew,
ana sent him to see J. Russell Jones.
4 he result OF th-t visit was an iDtimation from
or mt 10 Bristow that II would be advisable To
let up on istman Ihls was brought about, OF
course. through Jones, Grants most intimate
friend IN Chicago, and his partner IN real est tie
specultlions as wen as IN the Chicago West side
s rect Railway. BrstOw turned the matter over
to Solicitor iisou, who with his usual shrewd-
ness determined to max the most out OF the
opportunity that oner' him OF getting at
the bottom facts 10 the conspiracy. lie made a
VISIT 70 Ihlc go In the early part OF December
others OF the Ring, who the moment they heard
OF Eastnan's DETECTION, were ANXIOUS to make
terns also. Mr.. Wilson knew that II the
politicians who constituted the power when
stood behind the Chicago Rlng and Ravt It con-
ndence and cohesive strength; tnht It W : use
less To attempt TO bring all the guilty parties to
justice witnou' iirst striking the men VINO WELD
ell the political influonoe. These men he re-
garded as the real principals In the conspiracy,
aud unless they ~ere brought to grief ne very
justly considered tnat half MS duty would not
GETTING BOTTOM FACTS.
He worked with so much ze,I and discretion
70 accomplish TINS grea; purpose that IN return
Tor the promise OF cemeucy TO men Ike Eaat-
man, Golsen, Russell, and other minor conspir-
htors, he obtained evidence which implicated
tue local leaders OF the Republican party In
chicago, and cut close to big politici ms like
Logan and Farwell, well as Ward, VINO was
then United States District Attorney On re-
turning 70 Washington Solicitor ilson report
90 his action TO the secretary Of the Treasury,
aud after consultation with tue Commissioned
OF Internal Revenue, II was determined to allow
all the Chicago dlstiliefs and subordinate rev.
enue omciais VINO had been indicted at the No
Vember term OF the court 10 plead guilty, on
CONDITION that they should 20 before the Grand
Jury ana tell all they knew. BY law the Score
tary OF the treasury and the Commissioner OF
Internal Revenue have exclusive Jurisdiction In
intornal revenue laws, ana District Attorneys as
well as revenue officers take their instructlons
solely from the Treasury Department. The Al
torney- General has no authority whatever IN the
premises. This 10 the plain letter OF the law.
IL Is not matter OF Inference, nor does It de-
pend upon the construction OF an OBJ curely-
worded statute. In certain cases the <ttornev-
General Is the fountain head OF aut hority in the
prosecution Of offences against the United
States, as for instance, In suits TO punish viola
tions OF the postal laws, But the distinction
which the law makes In internal revenue cases
Is all the more apparent when the two sections
OF tue Revised Statutes at Large are placed In
1uxtapostlon. Chapter IA u the Revised
Statutes al Large defines the duties, powers,
obligations OF Marshall niafrfpI