The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-05-07

In July. anO every Vno's "SS.t.o o,,,
an active, vigorous, ana sggressvv .r"
paign. pooH'oN
r,.., s,.,cs MA rsbaI John 4. Lewts's
Defcucc against Charges Of Speciai'
Agent Lancaster.
For the Dispatch
UAgRIsoNBuKo, May :, 1881.
The answer OF United States Marshal
John +. Lewis. OF the Wesieta district OF
Vircinia. TO the report OF &. &. Lancaster,
snecial agent OF the Department OF Justice,
2 COPY of which was called for by Senator
Malone on Thursday the 18th ultimo, be-
Gins by stating that his answer was heces-
sarily DELAYED until the 9th ultimo. because
he could not obtain from the Department
Of Justice comics OF the exhibits bied by
Lancaster. H was unable TO obtain them
until they had been printed in compliance
with Senate resolution 10 that euIc'. Inc
answer shows that the report Is not only
not sustained by the exhibits to which Spe.
cial.Ag Lancaster refers, but that sald
exhibits actually contradict him in many
instances. IL declares that the marshal ana
his deputies could therefore rest the case
upon Lancaster's report and exhibits win
confidence that no impartial tribunal could
sustain him In his report. They do not
propose TO rest under this negative sort OF
yndication, however, but propose 40
carry the war into Africa" and to prove
that Lancaster has "placed himself IN the
position of falsfying even the records
and "cOnvicicd himself OF msslatements,
as demonstrated by his own exhibits"
1t then goes OH to show by Lancaster
| own exhibits that his assertion Ia reference
10 the number OF warrants issued upon
complaints OF deputy marShals and "tbelr
workers" is wrong TO the extent OF l36
warrants--morc than one fourth OF the
whole number.
In reOlv 20 the allegation OF "grtat greed
for fees" il shows first, that where deputy
marshals made complaint against parties
and procured warrants for their arrest, IL
was upon the Urgent request OF businessmen
who complained that their business was be-
ing rnter,ered with by the Illicit traffic in dis
titled spirits. In support OF this statement
a large number Of letters are filed, mostly
from the propretorS and managers OF large
iron-works in Southwest Virginia. Second.
~, il shows by certificates under the hands
and seals Of county clerks, by letters from
connty Judges and Commonweallh'S aiior-
news. that in great many counties the
Grand jurics had 10 take action against tDese
retail liquor.deaICrS, thus showing that II
there i any cause for complaint II is because
deputy mar,iIaIS and deputy collectors hare
not been strict enough in enforcing me to'cS.
In regard TO the assertion that deputy
marshas employed professional lnformers,
the answer makes m indienln, dcaial. and
| calls attention to the fact that Lancasiei's
assertion 10 hat effect is utterly unsupport-
ed by even an attempt at proof.
To the charge that deputy mar,hals took
prisoners bV the nearest United States CON-
sioner to others from fifty TO sixty miles fur'
| Their the answer asserts that the deputies
simply obeye the mandate Of the wriiS,
and clrried the prisoners wherever they
were commanded by the said wrils.
The answer, in referring to Llncaster's
charge against Marshal Lewis's son, uses
these words: "Tbe next charge Is that my
son y. :. Lewis (WhO was for time one OF
my deputle>) had made fraudulent ac'
count against the Government amounting
TO $3.50" His (my sOn's) statement is
filed herewith, marked Exhibit NJ" and
il shows cOncusiveiy that the charge Is en-
tirely grOuudess; aud a; Specia-Agent
Lancaster was in possession OF all the fac's
in reference to this transaction when he
made his report he was guilty OF an out
rageous and malicious SANDER.
II alleges that Lancaster was guilty OF 4
suppreSsiO reri when he pretended TO quote
from the court records, in that he only gave
the number Of person sentenced, and
withheld the number found guilty and the
number acquitted.
In reference to the increased expense OF
the district for the fiscal year included be-
tween the lst OF July, 1879, and July /,
1880, the answer asserts that it was owing
70 no ipprpaSp nj thp criminal lin Il
ness, and This increased business arose from
the activity and vigilance Of the revenue
Officials, VINO seemed determined to break
up the Illicit traffic in liquor. 1t says the
| expenses since that date have not been
near 50 large, as the efforts OF the
revenue officers seem to have result.
ed in suppresSing this Illicit traffic
to great extent. 1T contends, however,
that the Western district OF Virginia,
from the nature OF its situation, i neces,a-
rily an expensive district. as it embraces
| all q the mountainous parts OF the State,
where the people from time immemOrial
| have been accustomed 10 dlslil their own
fruit. &c, and sell the product. and where
they consequently look upon the revenue
laws as harsh aud opp essiye and deiigh, in
| eyadng aud nulitfyUg them. Ii calls atten-
| ton to the additional fact in proof OF this,
that The district borders upon the States OF
Moth Carolina, Tennessee, kentucky, and
West Virginia.
| Marshal Lewis claims in his answer that
when be suspended a number Of deputies
it waS done upon representations made TO
| him by Lancaster. which representations
made to him by Lancaster he has since dis.
covered TO have been false.
The answer concludes a. follows 9 The
great discrepancies between the allegations
OF the report aud the exhibits filed IN sup
port of them, together with the reply OF the
parties censured and their explanations and
evidence, coupled with other fac's that have
become known TO me since the oXamina.
ton and publication primarily in certain
leading Democratic papers, OF Special
Agent Llncdster's report. cOmpelS me TO
the conclusion that this whole movement
was but an artful and sinister scheme insti-
gated Cor the purpose OF preiudiclng tue
existing Administration against me.
"Again asserting my earnest desire to co.
operate heartily and effectively with your
department in reducing the expenses of this
district in any legitimate manner, have the
honor to be-" &c.
The exhibits referred TO in Marshal
Lewlss answer embrace extracts from
the records of the United States courts
letters from Daniel +. Trigg, Esq, who
Is a sOn'in-law aud law partner OF
United States Senator Johnston; from
Lieuienant-Govcrnor General james A.
Walker; from Circuit.Judge John II.
Fulton; from County-Judges Lybrook,
Ward, McTeer, Mays, Bailey, Morgan, and
Co:nett; from Commonwcalth's-At attorneys
John S. Crockett, j. ID. Watts, III. W. Hold
may, and C. 4. Duncan; flem Deputy.Col-