The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-06
tc2ecial to The Messenger.)

Greensboro. II. c., May AT
eleven o'clock to-day the jury which
had been engaged for ten days in
considering the whiskey frauds case
in the Federal court here, against T.
M. Angle, B. F. Sprinkle and William
Young, filed into court and rendered
general verdict of guilty on the ten
counts in the bill of indictment
against the defendants for defrauding
the government of taxes, making
false entries. removing liquor, etc.
District Attorney Holton at once
made motion for Judgment and SEN
tence. Counsel for defendants made
motion for new trial, which Judge
Boyd over-ruled, and an appeal was
taken to the Circuit Court Of Appeals.
B. F. Sprinkle was fined $4,000 and
sentenced to two years imprison-
ment al Atlanta; T. M. Angle fined
$1,000 and one year imprisonment at
Atlanta; William Young, fined $1,000
and sentenced to six months in Jail.
District Attorney Holton then
prayed Judgment on A. j. Davis. the
government gauger, who was convict
ed three weeks ago Of false returns
from the establishments conducted
by defendants. Certificates from ply
.
Judge Bynum, showing his bad
health. Judge Boyd stated that he
would only give Davis half the limit
by sending him to the United States
prison at Atlanta for eighteen months
and fining him $1,000. Judgment for
$4,000 against him was also pro-
nounced by Judge Boyd, as amount
Of taxes in his case government had
been defrauded of. The district at
| torney will sue Davis bond for the
amount of judgment. The case
| against w. n. Mebane, a government
| gauger. indicted for false returns fin
same cases, was continued for trial
until the next term of court, he Civ
| ing bond for his appearance.
| The jury had been out considering
| the case since five o'clock yesterday
| afternoon. There were only two out
| Of the twelve who voted for not gull
| ty, and they surrendered after GER
tain disputed points in the evidence
which they called for last night, had
/ been thoroughly considered by them
this morning.
In his appeal to the judge for len
| iency, Judge Bynum said that from
the evidence 1t was apparent that the
| money which had been made out OF
the government had not gone into the
| pockets of the North Carolina end
of the so-called conspiracy, and tina,
| the scheme was not originated by
| them. but had its origin in the west
| ern states. Every one Of the defen-
| dants was practically bankrupt. In
passing sentence, Judge Boyd said in
| no case which had come before him
had the result of a trial been more
| painful than in this case. My SYM
| pathies involuntarily go out to see
| crime. 1t is hard to see my way
clear. Temptations to defraud gov
| ernment are so great and such prac-
| tices have become SO common in this
| district, not only by dealers, but by
| government officials, 1t has become
| more the rule than the exception tc
| violate the law. These frauds could
not have been committed by defen-
dants without the active, willful, cor.
| rupt connivance of government Off.
GERS. I am satisfied these stamps OBJ
| tanned out west were never placed or
packages there. but were brought by
! persons or sent by mail direct to these
| North Carolina establishments. raised
| from nine proof to 100 proof, and
these gaugers never even inspected
| the liquor or saw the stamps on the
| North Carolina barrels or took the
| proof, but that they simply attested
| whatever rectifyers and distillers put
in their reports, aiding and abettine
them by certifying under oath to the
/ government TO anything Iney were
told. The loss of money to the gov
| ernment is not half SO bad as the
| absolute and complete demoraliza-
| ton to society. 1t is a subject fol
| profound thankfulness that public
| sentiment has reached the healthy
point to recognize this fact, for Il
means that such abominable prac.
tees must stop. In this case, tbs
jury. could not have found any othel
verdict than that OF guilty. The evi
dence presented by the government
was absolutely conclusive Their
must be an example set TO those rec
dfyers and manufacturers who hay,
come to think il legitimate to defraut
| the government
These gaugers have been at thi
business, many Of them a long time
are at Ii now. and the whole bushes
has got to STOP The manner 8,
which these frauds have been and ar,
being perpetrated against the govern
ment and honest society in this dis
trict is a crying shame and dsgrace
These frauds and Irregularities ar