The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-02
Though Dark Deeds Are
Being Done.
EAST BAD AS The WEST
Thus Speaketh a Prominent RepubIi'
can, Who Points With Pride to
Holton's Work and Shows Up
Government Losses
Elsewhere


cent talk of the Hon. E. Spencer
Blackburn, upon his return from
Washington, that he has Prices scalp
dangling at his belt and that in due
time Holton and Milliken will go, has
caused considerable comment here,
where the efforts of District Attorney
Holton, Assistant District Attorney
Price and Marshal Milfiken have been
witnessed from court to court, and
where the secret conferences of the
revenue men and distillers with the
''Hon. E. Pluribus" have also been
noticed from time to time.
Put Holton out? Roosevelt will
never do it, unless he is perfect
hypocrite, and that's something no one
ever charged against him." remarked
a prominent Democratic friend of the
District Attorney today. why, sir,
the revenue crowd are as scared as
hell of him, because he knows them,
and the whiskey fellows have made
up a fund to work the President i'm
some side way against him, and Black
burn is simply giving out such talk to
keep his crowd encouraged towards
putting up the stuff. There is moth
ing I'm it. Why, I understand that that
man Blackburn has actually said that
Prices resignation while he was in
Washington last week. and that they
did SO in a very assuring manner,
stating that he should have it before
he went out of town. Doesn't every
one know that is lie? Blackburn
has been trying his best to get Price
out ever since the election and can
not bulge him, and he knows it. My
advice to the distillers of the district
is not to put up any more money on
the assurance of Blackburn that Hol-
ton will go, for the career of Holton
will stand the X-ray or any other ray
And thus the friend of Holton went
on talking.
But the most interesting converse
ton L have heard in a long time was
with very prominent Republican, In
fact one of the most prominent in the
State, whom saw today in a neigh
boring town. He seems to know all
about the revenue business and he
lays the propositions down flat-footed.
He said, in substance. that Blackburn
was whipped outright and that peo-
pie would only have to wait to find it
out. that Blackburn has been doing
his best to have Holton removed be-
fore his time is out, and that he has
utterly failed. ST will tell you some
matters in confidence, that is if you
will not print my name" said the
gentleman. ''Duncan's district is al
most as rotten as this. if the truth
We're known; I mean as far as the
way the revenues conduct matters.
do not think the revenues and whis-
y Key men are banded into a regular or
ganization as they are in this district
with an influential head like in Black
burns district and a regularly constitu-
ed treasurer, but there Is certainly SONS
very strange things happening in that
district. I believe Skinner is straight
but he is either lazy or simply despises
hard, detail work such as is required
by these big revenue frauds, and will
consent to compromise often, when the
revenuers get around him and beg him
to be light on this and that violator
of the law. If Skinner would tackle
the matter as Holton does there would
be something doing i'm that district.
Just take the two recent cases of the
Hamlet Distillery Company and the
Hoffman Company. In tn first case
the revenuers seized 200 gallons of
Whiskey and a plant worth $25,000,
and they found that the company had
defrauded the government. of $133,00O,
and yet when the matter came up be-
fore the Internal Revenue Bureau.
Collector Duncan recommended, and
District Attorney Skinner acquiesced
in a settlement with the government
at the small figure of $4,000 and no
imprisonment for anybody. Then take
the next case, that of the Hoffman
Distillery. The revenuers in this case
seized large plant and discovered
that the government had been de-
frauded of $4,000, and on the recon-
mendation of the revenue office and
the acquiescence of District Attorney
Skinner this case was compromised at
$4,000 and nobody imprisoned.
f-E y, Tr1If
the western district, and here, remem-
ssDsr. he has to run up against a set of
revenue officials who. instead of as
slsting him to get at the facts, are do
ing all they can in numerous instances
TO shield those who have paid tri-
butte to Blackburn. Take the Arey
case just disposed of. That is a fair
sample of Holton's work, but the pub
lie must remember the Sprinkle and
other cases that involved much de-
tailed work for weeks on the part CT
the District Attorney and Assistant.
IN the Arey case the defendant, see
ing that Holton had the dots on him.
submitted and begged the mercy of
the court. but this did not deter the
judge and the district attorney from
going into the matter. Mr.. Holton had
previously been called upon, to my
own knowledge, to compromise at diff
ferent figures. and he had held a stiff
upper lip as up and up the offer
climbed. The Revenue Bureau at
Washington finally told the district
attorney over the phone, as I learned
afterward. that Commissioner Yerkes
thought $1,000 enough and hoped he
tfiolton) would agree to II. But Iiol-
ton held the fort, and never agreed
Co settle. except on the basis of a fine
to cover tile governments losses and
tenn OF imprisonment. When the
Judge went tn pass sentence he in
sfructed the officers Co calculate the
amount Of the loss and they put it IN
rough figures az $4,000 and AreyI
Wta made o. pay u. and In addition
BE- WIS sentenced ~ = term Of iinnrls-
onment, which the Judge finally was
forced Ca hold up IN ita execution on
Hrrnunt ~ the afildnvitn OF physicians
49, - the lllshealth OF Arey. but henr
ihe iudHe - going to see that Arev
sets able 10 begin serving the sentence