The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-19
A WHISKBY RING In PERIL.
THE RECENT TRIALS IN THE CITY
OF MEN ORLEANS.
Indictments witch were Never Intended to
End In n Convictioa-fIish Omcers Of the
Government Clearly Impiicated-A Jury
that MAY yet Perform us Full Duty.


Of a siuaie individual indicted In the whiskeV
cases He cannot console himself by throwing
the responsibility for failure upon the jury, io'
he knew perfectly well that no jury cou'u %
depended upon TO convict, even upoh Co"V'u-
p,ye proof Of guilt, so long as he suomltteo 10
,be exclusion from the jiry box OF about 'htee-
foutths Of the most respectable citizens, quail
ned for the duty by reason OF thelr hteHEe"oe
and honorable character. Mr.. beckwth hhe"
tba, the whisk-y Ring was composed OF men
of veslth and Of political and social influence;
That they might he expected to resort to all
those means OF preventing verdicts Of convic-
ton which such men, aided 10y the best legal
talent In New Orleans, are always able to eu-
pIoy, and that public opinion here discounten-
snced prosecutions OF this description. lie
knew that these whiskey frauds had been going
on VIGOROUSLY for eight or nine years. ana thit
the Government could not at this lato day
iustif, before tho community prosecutions
which should have been Instituted II instituted
n all, whom the frauds first became known to
~ officers.
None knew better than MIR. Bcckwith, who
,as held the ONCE Of District Attorney Of the
CnItcd states for over i've years, that the Gov
frnmcnt has been. every day during that time,
aefrauded Of It's I, venus from the manufacture
u whiskey, necessarily with the connivance of
The higher officers Of the revenue and other de-
psrtments, and OF citizens II prominence In the
community These being the tr~t prosecutions
Tor frauds in whiskeN manufacture ana sale
sGrins his ,eHne OF ofce, he mot sssiif3c
a. Irincipa law officer OF the Government In
his district, In enforcing the revenue laws. for
his standing hy idle while these laws were being
every uey ana every hour Of the dav openly vio-
lated and condemned unoer his very eyes The
during il he time he has held cffice Of these
luiractiuus Of the law. No one Is more con-
scious than he that the Government long ago
lost its moral light to punish these frauds; that
II has slept upon its legal rights; that IL has ac-
tualiv encour ged and rewarded the mon con
ncrted with these detredatious. More than
that, the Government has during these long
years, been teaching the people contempt FOR its
laws md for It's administration OF them. until
now their moral sense has become go blunted
TINT law breaking Is only a subject for jest, and
not for serious treatment.
LoNd DELAY.
I do not mean to assert that the Government
loses by delay its legal right to prosecute for
rrimes. " the statute and Us Re do not limit
the time for prosecution. but do mean that its
ers has become impaired aud weakened 10y its
taches. he public now ask why this tardy
vitianccY why this late determination to
punish crime which could and should have be en-
prevented by timely actionY l think It is Lord
Bacon who saws; Let penal laws, II they have
present tine, be by wise judges confined In the
Execution"
In connection with this negligen nee OF tho Gov
eminent officers III Is wore than negligence y
l submit the following extract from an editorial
article contained in a recent number of the ST.
Charles Herald. conservative Republican jour
nal. published In the parish of ST. Charles, some
forty miies nom the city. and edited by ex-Goy.
aud ex-speaker Michael Hahn, prominent
memb of the Republican party Of Louisiana
aud also a member OF its House OF Representa-
uyes. Coming from such a man this censure Is
The more severe:
1t somewhat singular II seems to us, that the Ad-
mni-traioa should .iow frauds on the revenue con
ncctet Win vniskcy natter TO be carried on seven
Ichs, ana Institute proceedings BY way OF criminal
o. Of election. II II is right 10 pr sccuio
no" It va r-ht 10 lroseca years ago The fact tnst
uul recently. led The men engaged ~ nuts turing
lightly, and To WIN indifference. Tue proseculons
.sou l.yr peen carried on from he very .lsrs, when
iaN smorc Deliberate aud Intentional The Govcrn-
WsS.aetisSs wni-S,y men sere b"Gnd 10 presume no
pscclions wona ,ver he iu.tiiuted IL seems tnere-
~ free, ANA naic only those now OF lately IN the bus
A JURY IMPRISONED.
The telegraph has informed you that the jury
~ me hrst trial OF the FenrenO elk case acQuit-
ted Wiiis, the Acting Collector aud head 4 tho
ln,erual RsNenIe Office Ia New Orleans, Nc
hrtcr nd Bruce. inferior OH ers of the sam r,
and Ia { as - the Other parties indicted with
thsm-k ir-tenuick, Fehrenback, Todd. and
Beaes-thc jnry. after five days and tights close
~ prIsonment IN tueir room, announced 10 the
Court th"r could not agree, and were dis
ruug-d 4 say close i.nprsonment" because
the terms are not only truly applicable to their
confinement hot prrfectlv accurate Tho room
whoa the Government officers have set apart
Tor TINS purpose la the Custom House building
Is % ore Ike q dun con IN u IMAM an apart
eit Cor Juries changed with the life and liberty
VI their fellow men. This arrangement Is so
dissrtceful 10 the Government that even Its
hsl, . Cfiicers hcrl-JuGge Woods among the
nunbcr-nAve been compelled to express a
sen.e ~ sh1ne with REGARD " IL.
Ire ihis letter reaches YOU the telegraph will
PROC My h We reported the result Of the second
jury ui,i in the Whiskey cases-ihat Ia TO say, in
the case or tehrcn back, kdrstendIck, Todd, and
He ICES c lrst Jury having disagreed aud been
u and "A Al 4 t.
v.ll'u- o.iuiHn IS tn the present trial will nave
similar result The evidence having been
III sed the Arguments Of counsel CON menced
Sestc.dib. and while write. the Dist let Attor-
ne, j. closing for the Government. The Csc
vii be gwen to the jury TODAY.
We are now nearing the end OF the spring
teru Ut the court, and m-ny indictments stlll
Zen an t. be tried There is tue case Of h. T..
Norton, the Oaukruptcy assignee under the
lurell itJmc. charged with eSacting excessive
Fee the case Of nsnnee, shannon, Taylor, and
Others CHARGED with manufacturing fraudulent
G tton u Inns and collecting the same from tue
l-i.ed States lreasufy-that Is to say, with
conspiracy. perjury, aud subornatlon Of perIury
The piObat int, Il that these Indictments and
.lueiS PENDING VAL not De tied until the iail
term II Tue court.
SHAM TRIALS.
Tive general opinion Is that neither the author
vs. AZ asnington nor those IN New Orleans
n - e-ired cUnyi tipns IN any OF these crimi-
nil cise., md Ia It the whole proceedings in
theH iiHu beginning to end have been ken for
70 other purDUse than deception and 70 serve u
= Niic tud. several considerations lead to
pal rin'pes, should tue chiefs VI the ReOuo-
ue p NV 'eflre ~ punish wealthy anu promi-
Gen, 'ncA 90 their .wn links whose PROFITS IN
u ls iihcit MuisAcy business they have sh red
WIS have they not transferred these proceed
ins- 10 ue other state where a fan trial could
have re"n utd Why nave they put on trial the
pinc.p accused puftiesI Why have they put
o. iiisl = the most insigu lncant II the ac-
cus-df hut admitting III Il the Washington au-
tHNhlles are 50 f,r IN earnest, ana that those In
re" . ieuns have d ne their duty, IL does not
tl nN that either are very anxious for cOnyic-
Won 90 "ouia regret II all were acquitted. As TO
kil ever, one knows that tn-ss frauds II we
cen o." nittcd No one questions tntt. II is
very cIs, to say I'VE have me our duty /;
W. cannot control iur es." District Attorneys
ana Jungc. Il courts VINO arc neceiA partisan
v D. Nrii ar I'd 10 eXhiOiL a uetermin ton
w. ""iain vtrlicts tor tue Government when
IN" know hat the jurv hss uern "nxed,' Sn-
cry 'tuult o inferred irl such cOnuuct. In
l'll llt-u iii ers nave been sincere, why
u in'f NOT Nv SO Attur ev-General iierepOut
ttY.Nl uuna f NeAthy whishey men IN y ew
'a"7 "it ca rice MAS an impussluilttyr
90 ND pi tn. - ldrles n Ia toe hands OF
.I t.- i4ru vino can be ia Irnc~d Ia their
li Joy ualdeiatlons Of an imprOper char
1'.'N aIn not 81 n s4ru mat, even had the
ID 'N.4l Nnners Of judge Noou,'s court
.i' comm INIT t. cuOose from, they
"""H a'f selected good ana true men"
.'i tt. ..,J t--iu- uy tncir vast lctiDus, IN |
.NNii utNn ntuiuul TEA ME drawing 80 4
~ meet ih object In view. mere have been
Ni plVAtr confer, nc about thee jury
"''"I N- loo sncrh ia 20 Moods, MARSHAL l. OK
n FOO DO. .i.i AlinruGY Dcckwltu, and AcSsrs.
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