The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-16

lnteu - les on D us Oh TIC idf lHf fhdNNs III
the afternoon ffbunc commissioners called at
the Pactnc iiotr
"Mr. Pnill,pe, have come 20 interview YOU in
connection wi j your visit to California, and the
results thrrtUL'
"Weli, can't saw that am At liberty to re-
and II wovn Ice nnf ir To- thn uth0rlties to an.
ticipatc the infprn,.ion which have gathered
and which ''.hl IT, iar;."
Did ybIhi m.icl Gro ,koln"st7' u
Yes, SIR ~. rev, rs ,',N',f , nm
ton, and with very few cNcef 'pn7 there - MT
ali honest government official IN l e Pacific
-" Did you discover much crookedness among
I" Yes. sir. more than Won have am idea Of
The whole wtiskcy business ont there Ia one
well what did you nnd among the whiskey
81 foun that they havs beon systematic lly
swindlt Cue Goyernu ent 'ince ls6l, anu that
they hiN ei,-rn aided AMI ubeitad therein hy Gov
ernincnt N;irials Of AL rau.,i. from u United
States secs l9Nn to the lowest clerk In the
How ciJ tnc .distillers manage to get away
with the GOO ~"
"They had secret pipes lescinz from tie d.
tilieries to aniorsr uni tHus; AMI the revenue
Officials stood around ~ iht tins vita their
eyes ri iscd nud their bricks turned."
" How much DO YOU -upuua" inst the Govern
ment has been cheated out OF by tho crooked
II should cav s5OolOD or $4,000 at least,
though II NV be double thltanount."
Hoy many distilleries are there IN San Fran
"Four, but only three are In nctiy, operation.
The fourth one Is now surfingrs 'mAlt hplsc:'
:" DID the, IN work together h4iu1.i i.lyf"
Yes, ih.y all pulled toy. tnr,. and ptacur.l NY
formed a pool. The pJchr distiliery. during
the time Of tie :. tax, made nearly Sl~c'oNb by
"Di you receive The hearty cooperation Of
The revenue oficials while pursuing our inyes-
AIpiNG Tng THIEVES.
mo, sir, did not. lhcy placed stumbling
tsodsrns y me- way nt IN crn on ne
frauds. gd al the dstilers ana rcc;iners In every
possible shape"
!" Then Won must have found +; a very uphill
piecO Oi husluc~-f
"1ndced Idii. was acting with Llci n Haw-
lev OF Now YORK, WAC WA seat uut 10y the tow
eminent Ontho same mission that was. uud W.
were watched at every step fer our advent In
San Francisco became kn lwu."
DID thoy put detectives on your tr ck?"
"Yos. ir. We were watched every tiinc VIC
sat down to our meil,; we were watched when
we went to bed and our stcos were followed
wherever we vent IN the city,
"What did YOU dor"
ave pursued our lnvesti cations "a well - wo
could, anu. after a great deal 81 labor, secured
evidence suiii lent to convict one house. Bat
we did not ontcr ANY criminal prOaccuti Ju
Government"
NO, Wo did not; \ hoollum jury was select
What was the nature Of the testimony you
had"
ave found that the Antioch distillery, owned
by man named Jostc, had on nineteen occ,-
sons used the same stamp tnieo ZINES, anu on
twenty-uas occasions twice"
How did the defence meet that array 81
facts2"
1.-THE s:orekeopers, gausers. and dl,tillery
hands swOre positively that ~ goods had been
surrepttiousiy removed nat M regulirities
whatever had been commit ed. and inst the d !.
tilcrles ma been run Ia fun com 'inrc' with all
the provi-iIns Of the revenue laws. The clerks
who had charge Of the books swots that the
ngures recorded showing the duplicate and trip
hcate Use OF staGps were cleric u errors"
How die the Court charge the jury IN view
OF this singular evdencef"
The Judge charged the jury suost ntially to
return verdict for the United States, stating
that such clerical errors could not have occurred
more than once In a lifetime and that It was a
mathematical impo. sibillty for three or four
clerks to record the same figures three or four
times in different places, and do so clerical
out OF the slums Of san Francisco, failed to
agree. aud the case Is still bending"
" What did you mex; do p
HEALTHY COUNSEL.
I" applied to the District Attorney to employ
counsel to aid me. lie referred me to one VAN
everything pertaining to revenue matters. This
Nanduzer /. no lawyer and was formerly clerk
the thing over they agreed they could do no.
thing without orders from the Attorney General
at WASHINGTON"
What steps did you next take?"
" telesraphed TO the Attorney-General, stat
Ing the urgency OF the Sc, and requesting him
To issue an order instructing the District AttOr-
pey to retain competent counsel"
Well wat was the result z"
-" received no answer then teleeraphed 70
Secretary Dristow, advising him Of the cond-
tion oi ariirs, and subsequently, le,rned mat
hnltcu SttfS senator sargent nld so uXed
things that nothing could be done without his
being consulted
How dld you manage them"
found Ed. Solomon. formerly OF this city.
He Is practising law with Mr.. Nvumnnn In san
suited with him as TO the best steps to lie pur-
Eued. lie arranged an interview for me with
Josie the di.tller, whom sued Tor back taxes.
Josie - selt-made man. OF low origin, and Is
socially looked down upvn 10y bis other whiskey
brethren, and though his business relations with
them are cordial enough, being b sed OIL the
principle OF self-preservation and a community
Pfinterest, yetthe sights aud indlgui' les offered
al opportunity TO get revenge"
What did Josie agree to dor"
lie agreed to squeal on the other dlstllers
and the Government officials II would dismiss
the civil suit
~ communicated with the District Attorney
aud advised him OF the proposition. and at TIC
bame time urged him to retain some good nrst
class lawS or who had no bushes. OF social con.
necton with any Of the Ring"
Did lie comply with your requesti"
,, .H2 c ACiins under ne adyics Of V9nduzer
Ring, he declined 10 do as / suggested. lie sal
he would not buy testimony. | asked him II Il,
came to that conclusion from reading Pierre
cago, st. Louis, and Milwaukee"
What cid he say to thatI"
HE replied that 1t made no difference; tina
ne could get sufficient evidence elsewhere ant
that he would not purchase testimony unde
did YOU succeed in getting other counsel re
tainsd :" s,.,,
LAWYER, who | afterward ascertained was sug
Rested 10y Senator Sargent, had been retained
On investig ition | learned that he would no
do, and | declined to consult with INN, as hi
telations TO some OF the members Of the Rim
and his standing at the bar were OF such a char
acter as 10 forbid my trusting hin"
"What was done thenP
JUDGE AND JURY
" Arrangements were thCn made with a lawye
named Judge Dwinnel (before whom Ltur
Fair was III I'd for the murder Of Gen. Critter
denL lie was not my choice, and would nc
have been had II been left to me- However,
Impress ON bis mind the urgency OF the cas-,
The position Of the Government, the unscTupu
aous Character OF the Ring, and the fact that b
revenue otnclals were In league VITA the dis
tlllers, aud would do everything possible I
thwart the ends OF Justice"
" " nat was the next step Z"
felt that IL would he worse than useless I
select Grand or Petit jury in San Francisco O
Alameda. My experience with tho Jury In tn
ciNll SUIT against Joste made 1t clear TO my min
tha no Jury could be picked up In the tw
couniirs named, who would not lie more or les
unusr me control OF the Ring, and | so advise
the nlted states Marshal, and requested hin
10 select both luries from the interior G. mites.
HOW ala the marshal take your suggestions
=" lie sald II was all nonsense, as a good reli;
pie Jury could be picked up ia san Francisct
lissides,' sid he, II will cost 500 to summo
jury from the country, and onl, get $50
tions 2" WV
II told him that all he had to do was to wr,,
HORfmasfpFa all