The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-08-21
STARTLING.
Criminal Disclosures of Gen. William
Crosses Transactions as ReY-
enue Collector.
General Tom Browne and His Nolle.

To the Editor of the Sentinel:
New CASTLE, Ind, Aug lin looking
over the records of the United States dis
trict court the other day found little"
matter that will be of interest to the voters
OF the Sixth congressional district just at
this time. The docket of that court for 1868
has recorded in its pages the following
cause: Omitted States of America vs. VIM
Grose," and on the opposite page: ''Nollied
December l, 1863" written in the italic
hand of that great "meat' eating hero, Gen.
Tom Browne. After seeing this much had
a desire to see the indictment, and having
obtained its number an accommodating"
clerk found the desired instrument for me,
which / give you below, and it will fully
explain itself. 1 have noticed that this
man Crosse denies having appropriated
to his own use sanitary supplies sent sick
and wounded soldiers, and it is hard mat
ter to prove that he did, though l was there
and know that he did. Yet you know a
lapse of IA years blots out almost any crime.
He also denies that he was arrested at Rich
mond in vile den of courtezans, and his
friends try and explain it away by saying
that he was decoyed there by an enemy.
Yet he had been familiar with that city for
years. uOW Cullullkc anu Dldld Ec uuob NC.
l wait with breathless anxiety to see how he
is going to get cut of this last charge. There
is the indictment; there is the warrant for
his arrest, properly Endorsed, and his body
produced in court, and there is his bond; all
in black and white. The mild assurance of
one of the clerks of the United States dis
trict court that he was afraid
that we could not fnd his case,
as the records had beenv badly
kept along about that time did notdeter us
from finding it. Can -Grose now say that he
was innocent of the charges preferred against
him by twelve of his peers? If he was, why
did he not court an investigation? Why
didn't he go into trial and establish his in
nocence, and not fight against a trial until
he got Alf Kilgore, who was then United
States district prosecuting attorney for the
district of Indiana, out of the way and Gen.
eral Tom Browne in his place, whose first act
was to enter this nolle? These are ques-
tons the voters of the Sixth congressional
district of Indiana VIII ask, and have a right
to know. No cause is given why the nolle
should be entered; yet l know the reason
Tom Browne wished to shield his friend
Crosse from the restraining influences of
prison walls; and mot only him,
but others who would have been
seVersi republican POLITICIANS fro% n fate
that afterward overlook numbers of the same
whisky ring that Crosse, Binghams, of Evans
Vile, and others were at that time forming,
and who to-day owe their liberty to the par
doning power of ex-President Grant, except
Bingham, who has been convicted for years
yet has never had sentence passed upon him.
And why? I think Crosse, Browne d Co.
could tell ii they were so disposed. But
enough for the present; the documents
themselves are sufficient for the day thereof:
THE INDICTMENT.
United States of America, District of Indi-
ana.
within and for the Seventh circuit and dis
trict of Indiana, May term, in the year of our
Lord 1865, the grand Jurors OF the United states
cult and district of indiana, impaneled and
sworn and charged at the May term of the cir
cuit court of the United States of America,
within and for the Seventh district circuit
and district of Indiana, in the year of our
Lord 1888, to inquire for the United states Oh
trict aforesaid, upon their oaths present that
on the 2Oth day of December, In the year OF our
aforesaid one William Crosse. late of the cir
cult and district aforesaid, he, william
Grose, being then ana 60, t ,ha r,f.S
collective district OF the state OF Indiana, with
force and arms unlawfully, willfully knowing
neglect and refuse to perform the duties of
such collector as required by law, by then and
there falling, neglecting and refusing TO seize
tain property of William ID. Burkham, dis
filler within the collection district aforesaid,
to-Wit: Two hundred barrels of highwines,
one still boiler and other vessels, machinery
and fixtures, then and there being used by the
said William ID. Burkham, in the distillation
of spirits, together with a large quantity. to-
wit: Five thousand bushels of grain and
other materials fit for distillation, then
and there on the distillery premises
OF the said William ID. Burkham
within the said collection district, all of which
said property had then and there become for
feited to the United states by reason and on
account of certain violations of the internal
revenue laws of the United States before that
time committed by the said William ID. Burk-
ham in the distillatiOn OF spirits, to-wft: By
the removal of distilled spirits from the place
where the same were distilled otherwise than
into a bonded warehouse, as provided by law;
he, the said William Crosse, then and there
well knowing that the said violations of law
had then and there been committed as afore
said by the said William ID. Burkham, and
that the said property he'd then and there and
thereby become forfeited to the United states
contrary to the forms of the United States in
such cases made and provided, and against
the peace and dignity of the United States OF
Amer f0a. a. hILGOkEs
United States Attorney,
Nollied December l, 1865,