Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-02

trial will be based. This request was re-
fused by Judge Butler, who stated that
there had already been one Instance of alb
sconding, and there should be no further
temptation that way, and the convicted
men were remanded to prison.
The Effort. to Compromise.
The readers of The Evening Star are IA
miliar with the desperate efforts made by
Wilkins and his repres entatives to COM
promise the above case, well as the
cases pending against him and his brother
for other alleged violations of the oleomar-
garine laws in the courts of the District If
Columbia.
In the spring of 1897 en- offer of large
sum was made to the internal revenue bu-
reau to drop the prosecution against these
parties. Deputy Commissioner Wilson act
irg commissioner in the absence of Mr..
Forman, who was then commissioner of
internal revenue, declined to accept the
offer. The Philadelphia case Lad been set
for hearing at the February QS9O term of
the court, but owing to the severe illness
OF Special Agent Bowen the hearing was
postponed Until the November term. Short
ly before the date set for the trial an offer
of N,o00 was made to the Treasury De-
partment by the representatives of Will
kins & Butler to compr cmise the cases al
luded to.
Course of Internal Revenue Bureau.
The internal revenue bureau sent COM
munications to United States District At
torney Beck of Philadelphia and Assistant
District Attorney Hugh T. Taggart of the
District of Columbia, stating that such an
offer had been made, and asking if the
prosecuting attorneys did not think, in
consideration of the difficulty of upholding
the oleomargarinc laws and the improb-
ability of any such amount of money being
secGred in case of fines imposed if con-
V1ctions were reached in the cases under
idea to accept the offer. 1t is understood
that Mr.. Beck's reply was rather favorable
to the offer of the compromise, but Mr..
Taggart opposed anything of the sort.
Secretary Wilson Acts.
In spite of this, however, the treasury
authorities concluded to accept the COM
promise and recommended it is underS God,
to the Department of Justice that such a
course be pursued. The attention of Sec
rotary of Agriculture Wilson was called
to the affair, and he was supplied with
full information regarding the cases. Sec
rotary Wilson Immediately perceived thai
the imposition pracJiced on the public by
the dealers in oleomargarine had dis
astrous effect on the dairy interests OF the
country, which were under his official care
and protection, and with his customary
vigilance he proceeded to prevent the con-
summation of the compromise. In conse-
quence of Mr.. Wilson's interest Attorney
General Mchenlla Cecllneu 10 accept the
proposition of the representatives of the
oieomargarine men.
Another Offer Made.
A discussion of the proposed compro-
mise led to another postponement of the
Philadelphia case from the November term
of the court to the present term. Two
weeks ago it developed that the represen-
tatives of the oleomargarine men had in
creased the amount of money they were
willing TO pay for immunity from prose-
cution to 5000. Secretary Wilson was
absent in Florida and Attorney General
Griggs had just assumed Office. Ii was pc
lieved by the oleomargarine people tha'
under these circumstances the compro-
mise would be accepted, the Treasury De-
partment authorities having again ap-
proved such course. Assistant Secretary
of Agriculture Brigham. however, was APP
prised of the new move of the oleo men,
and requested that no decision should be
made By the Department Of Justice until
Secretary Wilson returned.
When Mr. Wilson did return he acquaint-
ed Attorney General Griggs with all the
facts in the cases. and when Messrs. Niche
ner and Wilson, as representatives, OF VIII
kins & Butler, and the other parties under
Indictment for cleo violations in this city,
appeared before the Attorney General, the
latter declined to consider the compromise.
1t is understood that the gentlemen VINO
appeared in behalf of the acceptance OF the
5000 stated to the Attorney General in the
course of their arguments that the chances
were very strong against the conviction OF
the accused, who were really innocent OF
the charges against them, and that the At
tCrney General replied In response TO TINS
statement that he could not think of taking
S. 0Oc from innocent men. Accordingly, the
Philadelphia case was brought to trial and
the conviction of Wilkins and Butler follow
ed as a matter of course. The attorneys
for the defendants gave notice yesterday OF
a motion for a new trial.