The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-30
nRIsrnw,S rNrEsrIGArION.
The Mary Merritt Cbnrgca Originating With
Members Of the Whi-kcy Ring.

| WhsuINuroN. April 2n.-E u. NOrthrup
| editor Of the Milwaukee Commercial Tunes in
| which the article fir appeared making charges
against Secretary Iiristow in connection with
the Mary Merritt, tcstncd before the Committee
on Expenditures in the Treasury Department to.
day that he wrote the article In question. A
deputy iuitcd States marshal nr4t called his at.
tcntiun to the subject, and asked him to work uf
the case. II was either Ed. Simpson or Burke
His knowledge Of the case was derived from Col
Goodwin, who received his statement from Mir
johnson and from John A. Ilinzc. a detective
who derived his informatlnn from MIR. Weiss
The witness knew nothing OF tho case except
what he derived from Others, and Ivy an examin.
alton of the court records. Col Goodwin, dur.
ing the last eight months, was engaged cxclu.
siycly in the whiskcy fraud trials at Milwaukee,
secretary lIristow asked the witness whether
Col Goodwin was not his open and aVuwcd
enemy, because uf hia Off 'inl course in the pros
ccuiion of those who wore engaged in whiskcy
frauds
Representative liriri, ,iid that the committee
frauds.
Secretary lirstow said that ne he had been ar.
raigned on charges preferred by mcnibur Of
Congress Nudgo Cuicl, " seemed TO him IT. was
competent 10 show the motive of the attack
Representative Bright said that such uues-
tion was irrelevant 10 the matter under intrsti-
CATION hc-idcs, Col. Goodwin WAS not witness
before the committee. Personally he had nu
Mhiskov frauds, but II they should begin II
There was no telling where IT would end.
Secretary Hfistow again said he wished IN
show the motive of the attack upon him.
Representative lirglt said he did not con slider
what Col. Goodwin said to "a third party as evil
dcncc against the Secretary.
SECRETARY lristow Undoubtedly, but desire
TO show a. lcast that Col. Goodwin was actuatcd
sequence Of the performance Of duty on his
part.
Representative Hartzell said the committee
IN
on the stand lie could then I've interr1gatcd rs
TO his motive The question seemed to he an
attempt to throw disrredit on the witness with
out giving the lattcr an opportunity to he heard.
II the witness were here II would bo proper tn
put the question.
After conversation 10y several members " the
committee Mr.. Northrup said that Col Goodwin
did not instigate the publication of the state
ncnt against Secretary Hfistow
q. u. Well. formerly Deputy Collector at Nil
waukcc, testified as 70 his conduct In relation to
the Mary Merritt and the circumstances attend
ing the obtaining ~ his mnieiy. lie resisted
the remission OF the bond of sli,OO0 for the for
feiturc Of the vessel until his Interests were se-
cured. lie paid Judge IIubhcll $50 out of graf.
itude for not faNoring such remission. and not
~ consequence of auy private agreement with
that gentleman. zen. lirstow, after he APP
peared and made his argument before Secretary
Richardson, IN company with the counsel for
the 1rces. rctircd saying tlht he merely ap-
peared for neighbors aud friends, having no pc
cunnry interest In the matter.
MIR. Wei said that he found In his experience
In the Custom House tnat, unless Custom House
officers made previous arrangements with Dis-
trlct AIT 'rneys tbO 1t "A division OF the moietv.
the attorneys would not institute procee Iing~,
aud thus extortion was virtually sanctioned 10y
Secretary Richardson. Hence the payment Wit
ness made to Judge Hlbbell was n matter OF
gratitude tnat lac did nothing to favor the re-
mission. He paid = W. Haz cton formerly n
member OF Congress, now District AttoTney at
Milwaukee $50 for presenting the case fore
the Secretary OF the Treasury (Mr Richard SOM.
Witness paid no officer IN Washington any
money whatever. lie adden that none of the
tncts stated In the article In the Milwaukee
Times; on which me investigation was based,
were furnished by him.
MIR. NOrthrop was recalled. He was asked who
brought him the brief. In reply he I'd that
Col Goodwin said that he brief Of Gen. BristDw IN
the Mary Merritt case was all they needed. as It
would throw Mr.. BristOw right on his seat. A
few days afterward Mr.. King said Mr. Weiss pos
itiyely declined to furnish the brief. One night
ger from Mr.. katzhauzen, anMilwaukee LAWYER.
tut how II WAS brought about witness could n ot
tell.
MIR. Bristow-ls Mr.. Ka'zhausen of the attor.
nnys for tue wnlskey kinz 10 Milwaukee,
Mr.. NOrthrep-l think ne Is.
MIR. Northrop exclaimed that the Tim's Wa
not Whiskey Ring organ. but supported the
Whiskey Ring prosecutions from the beginning.
lie stated that MI. Hiule was the most active
man to secure toe publication OF the article.
The witness asked by Secretary lirlstow
what other position In Milwaukee tann that Of a
detective did Mr.. IIinze hold, and answered that
he was President of the Central Democratic
Committee of the ci,v.
Tn Chairman (hr Elyl-Wel that is not at
all discreditabie.
MIR. weiss-Well, to make the story c1mpiete.
/ will state u the committee that am the Pest
dent. ll.ughter.1
The committee adjourned until Monday.