The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-08-12

that had paid no tax and officials seeking dis.
honest profits harassing him at every turn. Com.
missioner Douglass found the ring so powerful
that when suspecting foul play at the West he
tried to transfer Eastern supervisors thither he
was unable to have the transfer made till after
the election, the Whisky Ring contributing
largely 10 the campaign fund. Secretary Bris.
tow was not more successful In 1874, and when
finally he grappled with the ring 1t destroyed
him and his assistants and escaped with slight
damage.
The great ring5 existing at Chicago, ST. Louis,
Milwaukee, Evansville Peoria, Pekin and the
other distiltng centeTs of the West were all alike
In their organization and operations. regular
tax was levied on the distlller and, after paying
the gaugers, storekeepers supervisors and other
officials, was divided by the politicians behind
them. For instance, the st. Louis Ring was
formed In 1872 by Gen. John Mcdonald, the su'
pervisori Joyce, revenue agent Megrue, cash
Ter and paymaster, and Bevis and Fraser, dstill
era 1t was represented that the money amount
ing to from IS 900 to Sl5 0O0 week was to be used
at washington for campaign purpOs s. but the
ring divided II, After the election Mcdonald
and Joyce, to freeze out," Megrue and other un-
desirable members stopped crooked operations,
and when the operation was co cluded revived
the ring on larger scale, 1t now including near
ly all the distlers, revenue agents. store keepers
ana gaugers VIM Mckee, editor OF the st. Louis
Globe; Avery, Chief Clerk of the department at
Washington, and Gen. o e. BahcECk, private
bers OF the first ring, suspeCting taat they had
been tricked, dropped hint TO Commissioner
Douglass, who sent secret agent, Brashear, to
investigate the matter. Him, the ring foTewarn
ed by Avery, bought up for $1,000, 100000 being
subsequently, paid to another agent, HOag, for a
satisfactory report Brashear and Yaryan were
then sent on from Washington, and while the
latter went south BIsshear. forwarded favora.
BILE report certifying that YaTyan coincided in in
1t, For this he received $4,000, representing that
WOIlln divi0n W
turning TO Washington was surprised to find Te
port on file attributed to him.
Meanwhile, Mr.. G. w. Fishback of the ST Louis
Democrat McKee's former partner, apd now bit
ter Oppon ents, had informed Secretary BristoW OF
the existence Of the Ring, and obtained the ap
pointment Of Mr., Myron Colony, one OF his sub
oTdinates, to work up a case under the super
vision OF the Secretary and Solicitor BlufOId Will
son, and with the assistance Of some tried mem
bers Of the secret service By the middle of April
Mr.. Wilson had evidence to show that at Chica
go the distllers were stealing at least one half
Of all the tax" aud that at ST. Louis an even lar
ger percentage was taken by the duplication and
duplication Of tax.paid stamps. Mcdonald sus.
pecting something wrong went on to Washington
and on being confronted with the evidence In
Mr.. Bristows possession, admitted the existence
OF the ring promised to obtain all the money that
the Government had been robbed Of, or at least
more than could be obtained by an exposure and
prosecutions,a and further represented the damage
dal made public just at the moment the quarrel
between the Democrat and GLOBE factions had
been healed. Early In May the Press was shown
the evidence accumulated and on the 10Th de-
scent was made on all the dislleries and reCtiiy.
ing establishments In st. Louis and the Federal
Grand Jury indicted Mcdonald, Joyce Avery and
The crooked manufactures Mcdonald declared
confidently that he knew where the $4,000 he
had raised and with him taken to Washington
had been placed and that 1t would secure their
fat hNNN Na aEa- n.
SPARED his charm" and pleaded guilty, while he
Avery and Joyce went to trial and were convict
ed, sentence being suspended on the prisoners
who pleaded guilty, in order to use them as
States evidence.
Constantine Mcguire the collector Mckee and
Babcock were indicted in Nov 1875, and brought
to trial Jan, 20, 1876 Mckee was convicted and
Mcguire pleaded guilty, while Babcock was ac
quilted. 1t was his case which caused the great.
est excitement The prosecution alleged that he
and Avery were the Washington correspondents
Of the ring, and furnished II with information as
to the movements Of secret agents, besides per
forming such offices as securing the appointment
of Mcguire. gauger in the ring told how he
facilitated the frauds by means of false stubs and
found when he left the distillery each Saturday
an envelope containing from 800 TO 5000 in his
Overcoat pocket, while Everest, the rings pay.
master and collector, testified to drawing from
each OF several firms sums varying in amount
from $500 to S2,7C0 a week, and to seeing Joyce
inclose two $500 notes in two letters which he,
Everest, posted ln letter box, observing that
they were directed to Babcock and Avery Il was
shown that Babcock corGesponded with Nc
Donald secretly, sending the letters under cover
to third person; that Joyce had shown 10 the
distillers letters and kilograms advising him Of
Investigations to beattempted; that BabcOck had
telegraphed on Dec. 49, 1874, to Mcdonald, sign.
ing himself "sylph,' Il succeeded. They will
not go. will wlte you;" and that when Com'r
Douglass ordered q transfer OF revenue agents
Babcock told the Deputy Commissioner that the
action would be pressure on Mr. Douglass
were among the kilograms admitted in evidence
two memorable dispatches from Mcdonald to
Joyce, dated Washington, Dec. and s, 1874,
Had long ride with the President this afternoon
you Will hear from me Tomorrow aud Dead
dog-the goose hangs alttudium." For the de
Tense the principal evidence was that of letter.
0 rver, Magiu who swOre that on the day Ever
est mailed the letters to Avery and Babcock,
Joyce got him to open the letter-boX and give
them back to him. The action he admitted was
the box was not in his district, he did
not take the customary receipt for the letters he
did not report the matter to the PostOfice and he
had forgotten all about II till he read the evi.
dence at the trial. On this evidence and Prehi
dent Grants deposition to the effect practically,
that II his Secretary had been guilty he knew
nothing OF 1t, BabCOck was acquitted, but was at
once superseded In his secretaryship,
For the public the main interest centered In
Babcocks case, and in the excitement Of the
Presidential campaign that followed people lost
sight Of the other prosecutions. The distillers Of
Indiana Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin had been
rsided upon and many indictments were found |
10 December, ex Senator John B. Henderson, OF
was removed from the prosecution |
against the protest Of the solicitor Of the depart.
ment, on the ground that Mr.. Henderson In his
speech had reflected on the President, an on the
9th OF January 1876 he objected. specifically |
ana earnestly" says Mr. Bluford Wilson, ITO our
permitting persons who had pleaded guilty to be |
used TO- convict others" On the tst OF February,
was printed the substance Of circular letter by
he Attorney General, Mr. Edwards Pierrepont, to |
district attorney conveying the sense OF this OBJ
lection. In June Secretary Brstow and Solicitor
Wilson resigned
were made the scapegOats. McKee's imprlson |
ment was farce. RindBkOpf, the head Of the |
Milwaukee Ring, nominal Democrat but warm |
supporter OF Senator Carpenter, after several |
was brought to trial and sentenc- |
ed to 5000 fine and one days imprisonment,
and celebrated his incarceration with q colossal
spree" attended by all his friends and the Fed.
erRl officials. In Illinois the noted Republican |
manager, Daniel Mum, Supervisor OF Internal |
Revenue, was backed by Senator Logan, who was |
most the first man at the White House to insist
On the revocation Of the order transferring all |
revenue cfficials Ex.Congretsman Charles B. |
Farwell, another Republican leader, narrowly |
escaped Indictment as a conspiTator and sleeping
partner IN one OF The crooked dibtilleres After |
lumerous postponements and arrangements |
ome OF the small fry in Illinois were sacrificed |
md the larger thieves escaped with light punish
nent or no punishment vt all. 1t was so In Indi.
ina, where Senator Morton protected the Ring |
having according 10 Mr. Praetorious, editor OF |
Jar Schurz newspaper, telegraphed to st. Louis |
n 1872 for $4,000 Of the rings money for cam.
,aign purposes. In April, In 1877, Secretary |
sherman issued circular directing that o offers
o compromise should be accepted In suits against
members Of the ring, and another circular order.
ID counsel TO press all suits to a speedy coz clu.
ion, but things have 80 Jagged and have been so |
ide OF the Secretary's office can tell precisely |
low many convictions were obtained, how many |
utility men were sentenced and underwent their |
punishment, and how much money was recover. |
d by the Government out Of the many millions |