The New York herald., 1876-01-28
THE MILWAUKEE RING.
HOW THE BOTTOM FELL OUT OF 1.-THE GENESIS
OF THE FRAuDs-LINE OF DEFENCE


HOW THE BOTTOM FELL OUT OF 1.-THE GENESIS
OF THE FRAuDs-LINE OF DEFENCE
MnwAuKkB, Wis, Jan. 25, 1870
The 'bottom" has practically fallen OF the whs-
key Ring OF this city, although the persons at the
back OF the organization have yet to be indicted
able present statement Of the probable line Of
justification that be adopted by the disters who
have agreed TO plead guilty and rely the mercy OF
the government, testifying all they know the
frauds You must know that principal distlllers
number eight In this district the remaining estab
lishments Insignificant additions TO larger
concerns or these eight, the Nunnemachers, the
Rindskopfs Leopold wirth and Thomas o'Neil the
principal owners
NuNSENAcHER, THE ELDER,
is reputed to be worth $s OOo oOO and supposed 10
have been out OF the dlstlery business for long time
his sons-Robert, Herman and Jake-succeedng to the
business Robert and Herman were indicted at 0sh-
kosh but against Jake the elder and younger conciu
sive evidence could procured II absolutely
necessary get at the elder Jake If the government de-
sired to punish the most guilty parties namely the
men supposed TO have been barterng for lthy
ucre the interests Of the government and their own
honor Jake supposed OF all the distlers 10 hold
the key that win unlock these hidden mysterics A
curious fact about the Nunnemacher disery property
Is that IL appears TO have changed owners regularly
about every two months Most OF the putative
seem now to have been myths No trace be found
Of their material presence
RNDsKoPFs
are a family OF half dozen shrewd brothers, whose
cestors boast direct descent from the original inhabi-
tanss OF Jerusalem Lewis Is the dstiller. The re-
naming members Of the family rectidera
Brother Sam, formerly good republican, turned re-
former, and straightway indicted and convicted
and sentenced TO days Imprisonment and big
fine tor whiskey frauds. His Imprisonment consisted
OF a grand triumphal champagne reception at Nadi-
hotel and created scandal which future Grand
Jury not unlikely TO revive Brother Lewis the
millionaire While mercurial Samuel was wearing the
crown OF martyr and earning by the lavish expendi
ture Of money cigars and champagne the honorary
title OF "Prnce SAM" Lewis amassng the ducats
and investng at the rate Of 500, 900 at a time in
Chicago banks and other enterprises These brothers,
Lewis and Samuel, rightly wrongly looked upon
at the time OF the raid twins Of the Mephisopheles
stripe, without whom 20 fraud upon the government
whiskey diaboIism could BY any possibility be
plete
LEOPOLD wiRrH
the next on the list, probably combines in his single
person the sagacfty, cunning, money making talent
and business ability Of the entire group added 10 an
expression Of chlldlike and bland not TO
say simple, and con1ding in the extreme He Is
wealthy, but the different indictments under which he
stands aggregate he ever made or by honest
industry expect 70 make during balance Of his
life
THOMAS o'SrrL
Is the last On the list He is sample republican, and
his the synonyme OF all that Is honest hon
orabs, patriotic and republican He a Carpenter
man and nobody ever supposed he could be guilty Of
fraud or II guilty, Indicted or, VI indicted sent TO a
common prison. He has been indicted anyway.
Indictments were found at Oshkosh and In this city
last summer and fall against all OF these persons aud
nearly ufty others OF the whole number only one OF
the prominent men, namely, Wirth, was brought TO
trial. the remainder OF hose who underwent trial being
comparatively small potatoes, with tho only exception
OF Collector Erskne Wirth and Erskine were dis
charged from custody In the former case no reason.
able doubt exists that OF tho jury bought
over and the story Is that the Job Wrth $40 00O
and In the latter the government was unprepared
wEAKNEss PROSECUTION
As these proceeded u became lamentabiy evil
DEM that the government had little or actual proof
OF the frauds u charged against these persons except
discrepancies IN the reports OF gaugers sorekeepers
and dlsters and n railroad returns OF deliveries
counted for in dstcrs and rectiners books II was tho
for the third and forth Each witness reluctantly
compelled 10 yield Information ieadng fresh prose-
cutions, and II Erskine trial this week evi.
dence OF very different character that brought
would be introduced.
Gradually 20 the knowledge Of persons watch.
ing these trials that conspiracy Of extended
character than had been suspected have existed
when the December term ended the Prosecuting A.
torney matured his plans for the January campaign
The Grand Jury Of the present term indicted
afresh several disers and officers and various dlstl.
lers and officers against whom there previously no
evidence Several OF the latter alarmed at the always
accumulatinR evidence attempted 70 make terms with