The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-13
TO GRAND JURY
Violations of Liquor Revenue
Law Being PrObed.
Federal Officers Investigating
Action of Express Companies.
SELL. FROM STATIONS.
Dispose of G. 0. D. Packages
Not Called For.
Many Witnesses Win Appear in
Jury Room.
SELL FROM STATIONS.

PfoDaDly the most vigorous attemDt
ever made in the west to apprehend
liquor dealers who are trying to evade
the payment of the government license
will be started before the federal
grand jury, now in session, probably
tomorrow morning. AT least 60 wit
nesses have been summoned to supply
the testimony for the campaign.
The effort is a direct outcropping of
the notorious and bold efforts of kan
sas City dealers, who are using the
express companies as a medium to
escape paying revenue. The system
has been SO successful that its growth,
recently Investigated by United States
Attorney Dean, astounded that official
and caused him to apply to Washing
ton for special expert secret service
men to ferret out and bring the Of
tenders to time Most Of the Kansas
City wholesalers have agents in Kan
sas, from the biggest cities to the most
remote and seldom heard-of hamlets.
This agent supplies a list of names of
people in his city who enjoy a good
drink of whisky. TO these addresses
the wholesaler ships a consignment of
liquor, without an order. The pack
age is labeled c. Q. D. If the stuff is
refused, history however showing that
this act is in the minority column, the
agent lea yes the package in the ex-
press office, takes a bottle out at a
time. and peddles it to his customers.
In this way no license is paid the gov
ernment, and the wholesalers and their
agents reap ricn return. The prac-
tice of doing this commenced about a
year ago, and it's success, made both
its originators and followers bold to a
degree beyond belief, until today they
are sending great quantities of liquor
into the state.
There are probably 1000 express sta
tions in Kansas. Through 800 of these
at least, Mr.. Dean believes that the
hquor companies have carried on this
practice. The express companies are
not to balme. They have no knOWl-
edge of what is in the packages and
have no right to open them. But they
probably have suspicious Or perha ps
real. genuine informatiOn, for the fed
eral court has summoned a great many
express agents to appear before the
grand jury this week and tell what
they know.
1t is evident that the practice tx
tends all over the state, and that wit
nesses are being called from every 10
cality. Many country papers mention
the fact that subpoenas have been Is
sued in their territories for person;
| who may have knowledge of the trans
actions.
1t is impossible to obtain any direc
/ information from Assistant United
/ States Attorney McKeever on the sub
ject He has the grand jury in charge
4
witnesses. The findings of the jury
only become public upon the order O.
/ Judge Pollock who asks for the indict
ments which have been returned Ac
! cording to the dictation s0f federal law
| the work of a grand jury is secret, an.
| the government is severe with anyone
\ who divulges any of the proceedings
United States Attorney Dean vii
not talk about the matter either. SOM
/ weeks ago he informed the depart
ment at Washington in regard to th'
matter and requested the aid of addi
/ tionaI secret service men, who are
adopts in this particular kind of work
1 What the government viii do is pro
badly contingent upon the results o
/ the findings of the grand jury. Tha
/ the operation of these wholesalers i
! beating the government out of thou
! sands of dollars of revenue is a fac
/ and cannot be disputed, and that stric
/ measures looking towards the appre
hension of the offene srs will be in
4 augurated shortly is also not to b.
doubted Should a large number b'
/ indicted by the grand jury, it is pos
4 sible that this may be a sufficient hin
/ for the rest to get "on the earth.
/ Should the investigation not work OF
satisfactorily then it is likely that tn
| government will thread the state will
| secret service men, who will have
mass of unimpeachable evidence readl
for the next grand jury