The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-17

would traverse. the point in the depot where
the presidential train would stop. etc. This
but scarcely had the men left the city when
the fact was sent broadcast over the land.
IN nnls was a rare case. however, as most OF
the work Of the secret service is done with
out the facts ever reaching the public.
| Perhaps the most hazardous wolx in the
employ of the government is thai assigned
to the special agents of the internal revenue
service. This is particularly true of the op-
erations in the moonshine districts of the
Carolinas. Tennessee. West Virginia and
| other States in the South. In days gone by
the casualties among internal revenue
agents were sometimes very heavy, but in
recent years the work has been conducted
with very little bloodshed. Only one man
was killed and two wounded in the service
In 1902. The extent of the operations of the
men engaged in hunting for Illicit stills is
shown by the number seized and destroyed
every year. The records show that in 1895
outlaw stills to the number OF 1,S74 were
seized; In 1896. 1,905; in 1897, 2,273; in 1898,
1881 in 1899. 2931; in 1900 1855; in 1901 LBS;
In 1902, 1,O94; total of 1897 in eight years.
xxx
Notwithstanding the vigilance of the gov
eminent agents and the severity of the pen
aities imposed there appears to be no dim
mutton in the amount Of moonshine whis-
ky turned out in the United States. AS is
well known the industry fourishes largely
in the South, but very frequently cases are
reported in large cities, such as New York
and Chicago, and a few years ago one in
northern Wisconsin was called TO the at
tentlon of the officials. Last year seven IL
nclt stills were discovered in New York.
The work of the internal revenue agents is
carried on without publicity, as in the case
or the United States Secret Service. The ex-
ploltS OF the internal revenue agents once
In while find their way into the press re-
ports, but every effort is made by the off,
Gals to prevent publication as far as posi-
BILE.
An illustration Of the various kinds of
work these officials are called on to perform
Is shown in the recent investigation con-
Quoted incident to the enforcement of the
ELECTROMAGNETIC act. About a year ago a
ruling was handed down by the commits
sioner of internal revenue providing that
oleo containing palm oil should be taxed at
the rate Of 10 cents pound. The manufac-
turers contended that palm oil was legal
constituent of their product, and that it
was not used as coloring matter. But
this view of the case was not accepted by
the commissioner. The manufacturers then
determined to outwit the law officers of the
whip the devil around the stump, and, If
possible, defeat the purpose of the anti
oleo act. Soon afterwards Ii was discovered
by the bureau that oleo, made in Semblance
OF butter, was on the market, and that 1T
was taxed at the rate of one-fourth Of a
cent-the amount imposed on the uncolored
product. Every effort made by chemi-
cal analyses and otherwise to detect the
presence of the coloring matter in the prod.
uct. The officials knew it was there, but
were unable to prove it. Tests were con-
unued for several weeks, but they were un-
successful. Finally one of the best men in
the corps OF special agents was put on the
case. He visited Chicago and other cities
where oleomargarine is manufactured. He
discovered that the manufacturers were re-
celvlng cotton-seed oil from the South, and
that it's color varied from what it had been
formerly. He then went on a tour of the
South, stopping at number Of cities where
cotton-seed oil is manufactured. He found,
after careful investigation, that palm oil
was being intermixed with cotton-seed oil.
The commissioner Of internal revenue then
felt sure or his case, but even with this evil
dence in hand it took the government chem
lists several months TO devise a test that
would demonstrate the presence in oleo of
the compound made OF cotton seed and palm
oils. This is an example of the thorough
ness with which the special agents of the
internal revenue service do their work.
XXX
There is now going on in the Postofice De-
partment what is probably the most extern
sive investigation ever conducted by the
government 1t is not confined to the depart
| ment in Washington. 1t extends to thou
sands of postoffices throughout the United
States. 1t requires close scrutiny of the
| minute details Of every administrative
| transaction of the postal service. Nearly the
entire corps Of two hundred inspectors is
| engaged in the work Charges of a very
serious nature have been made against
| some of the more prominent officials. in the
department, and men who have long been
away from the service are indirectly men,
| toned in connection with the scandal Jo-
| seph l.. Bristow, the fourth assistant to the
postmaster general, has Jurisdiction over
| that section of the department which en-
| braces the corps of inspectors. He is in i'm
| mediate charge Of the present inquiry He
frauds Ill Cuba, and many of the men who
| were associated with him in that inquiry
| are aiding him now. While there have been
; many semsa.lonal reports circulating dur
| ton 1t is safe to say that they have not
| been given out by Bristow or any of his in
spectors The man from Kansas is volu-
| Die as wooden Indian. When questioned
concerning the postal inquiry he smiles soft
| ly, and AYERS that he knows very little
about it. For long time he denied that ar
| investigation was IN progress, but one day.
|, while in a talkative mood admitted that he
believed something was going on General
BrlStoW does not believe in belling the cat
| or conducting an inquiry with brass band.
/ He seems to have converted the postal in
| spectors TO his way of thinking Rumors
| and reports there have been in abundance
| about corruption, robbery, fayoritism no.
| litical machines, rake-offs and other things
| equally as bad, but the man in the depart
| ment next to Postmaster General PAYNE
| who knows all about the truth or falsity of
| these charges, refuses to talk The inspect
| ors around the Postoffice Department move
| from office to office without ostentation
| They are willing TO discuss the weather and
the signs of the times. but beg to be ex-
! department is under investigation.
| The present corps of postal inspectors is
| said to be the most efficient in the history of
the department The material is selected
with the greatest care, and only men who
have had long experience in other branches
of the service are promoted to the inspec-
| ton bureau. 1t is safe to predict that If the
1 Postoffice Department is the cesspool of cor
! ruption that it is said to be, the inspectors
! in charge of the present investigation are
| already aware of the fact.
The postal inspection service is now d.
vided into about fifty divisions, with a force
of about two hundred men. 1t extends
possessions. The Island of Porto Rico is one
] of the divisions. Hawaii and the Philippines
/ are embraced in the division having head
| quarters at San Francisco J. E. M.
1
| HATunTT TYNTuED cYrxy