The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-19
TWO REVENUE MEN
INDICTED
King and Starbuck Re-
turned by Grand Jury
at Charlotte.
Especial to News and Observe

Charlotte, N. c., June 1S.-A
long step in the prosecution OF
fraud which is believed to exist in
some parts ofthe United States In
ternal Revenue service, was taken yes
terday when the Federal grand jury
returned presentments against Mr.. O.
A. Starbuck, an ex-senator from Gull
ford county, who is now division
deputy collector at Greensboro, and
Mr.. w. b. King, formerly "a clerk in
Collector Duncan's office at Raleigh.
The men are charged specifically as
follows: Starbuck, with making false
returns, and King with failure to per-
form his duties. Capiases will at
once be issued by District Attorney
A. e. Holton, and Marshal j. NJ. Milli-
kan will arrest the men and have
at the October term of the Federal
Court at Greensboro. The present
ments are believed to be only the
forerunner of other and more import
ant. The district attorney refuses to
discuss them. All this week there
has been unwoUted excitement in
revenue circles, and witnesses have
appeared before the grand jury and
given testimony which has, Incorrect
~ VI lol lpl lilSt Tic DoioIo VI IIuCAl
conjecture upon the streets.
Mr.. David Sprinkle. a relative of
Mr.. J. T. Springkle, known as the pro-
prietor of the Reidsville Liquor Com
pany, was before the grand jury as
witness and it was learned that he
had stated that Mr.. t. j. Sprinkle had
boarded with him at Indianapolis,
Ind, from September, 1892, to May.
1903, during which time a number
of returns certified to by Mr.. Starbuck,
as charged in bill of Indictment, as
having been signed by Mr.. j. I. Sprin-
kle, in this State, bear dates within
that period when Mr. prinkle, was in
Indianapolis Another witness was
Mr.. Charles Without, a deputy collec-
tor in Indianapolis. The name of Mr..
j. T. Sprinkle, signed to the returns
sworn to before Starbuck, was shown
at the trial in Greensboro to be in
the handwriting of Mr.. B. It. Sprinkle,
the father of j. 7. Sprinkle. 1t VIII
be remembered that at the trial OF
the owners of the Reidsville Liquor
Company in Greensboro in April
the burden of the government
was to show the connection
of b. F. Sprinkle with the Reidsville
Liquor Company through which a
fraud had been committed against the
government. The purpose OF b. +.
Sprinkle was, it is supposed, to conceal
his own identity by organizing the
Reidsville Liquor Company in the
name of his son. 1t was shown at the
Greensboro trial that the government
was being defrauded out of about
$4,000 a day. or total up to that time
of fully 100000, by means of stamps
issued in Indiana and other States,
and that the returns to Raleigh were
fraudulently made to show that the
proof of certain spirits was 1870, while
the stamps themselves, issued in
Northern States, showed only 10 proof.
In this manner the credit OF the rec
t;fier on the books at Collector Dun
cans office at Raleigh was increased
1e times as much as the actual figures
were. w. 3. King had charge of these
records at Raleigh, and had only TO
look them over, as the law required,
to see that fraud had been committed.
For failure to do this he has been in
dicted.
At the April term at Greensboro. A.
Y. Davis. a guager and B.. f. Sprinkle,
w. b. Young and 7. NJ. Angle were
sentenced to serve 8 months in the
Federal prison in Atlanta. This start
ed the ball of the prosecution to roll
ing in good shape, and there has been
the greatest uneasineSS among certain
revenue officers ever since. Ihere Is
no doubt but that the investigation
will go much farther than it has done
so far in the courts. The indictment
OF Starbuck,' who has been prominent
in Republican politics in Guilford
county, is like a bomb shell in certain
quarters. 1t is not charged that brides
weer offered or received by any of the
parties implicated. King was employ
ed in the collectors office at Raleigh
and received the returns made by rec
tifiers, guagers and deputy collectors
He was a short while ago, transferred
and then obtained a position with the
postal service.
Mr. w. 3. King served as office
deputy collector under Collector u
Internal Revenue E. G.. Duncan IN
Raleigh until about six months ago
when his father died, and he reSignec
to go to his. home in Windsor, BERTHE
county.
Mr.. O. A. Starbuck has been in bad
health for some time, and his place
has been temporarily filled by Mr.. W
NJ King Yesterday Mr.. Starbuck
resigned and Mr.. Thos. w. Vinson, OF
New Bern, has been appointed to fill
the vacancy. Mr.. Vinson gave his
bond yesterday and was sworn in.