River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-09-10

1t was a tremendous bit of enterprise
"a nights work that was never be-
| fore equalled in the world.
When the facts came out during the
course of the following day the people
were hunderstruck-none more than
| Gated in New Orleans. Neither peo-
pie nor officials knew that Brooks and
| Kelly and their men were in New Or
| leans, and the capture proved to be
one Of the great sensations Of the
| time.
Indictments were promptly found
and convictions followed in every case.
The government confiscated over a
| half million dollars in property and
contraband whisky. The trials were
not officially concluded until almost
| two years after the capture, and in
| the spring of 1876 Kelly returned to
! New Orleans in the capacity of wit.
ness, being granted leave of absence
| from the position he then held-that
of lieutenant of police in Philadelphia
There is one phase of this story to
which particular attention is directed
| 1t was freely said at that time that
| President Grant was a man who took
| care of his friends, and it was in
simulated that his friends were some.
| deserved the encouragement of a
high-minded official.
Well, Gen. Grant did take care of
his friends.
But his friends, as Francis Kelly
| happened to know in this instance,
were the friends of good government;
| they were the men who under his in
| spiration and the supervision of
| James J. Brooks were instrumental in
| breaking up the notorious whisky
ring; they were the men who sent of
! tenders to the penitentiary, and they
were the men who helped to restore
| hundreds of thousands of dollars to
the treasury of the United States In
other words, Gen. Grant was deter
mined that justice should be done, no
matter where the chips might fall
In 1874 after the return from New
| Orleans, Gen. Grant sent for Mr.
Brooks He called at the White House
and found the president in his office
smoking a big black cigar. He looked
up quietly as Mr.. Brooks entered, and
said with characteristic terseness:
Brooks, you and Kelly did good
work at New Orleans"
Mr.. Brooks bowed at this and MUIR
| INJURED his thanks at receiving the
commentator of the chief magistrate
of the nation.
Brooks" continued the president,
II am going to appoint you chief OF
the government secret service"
And so he did. Within few days
this deserving, intelligent and compe-
tent detective was placed at the head
of the most important service in the
world. Kelly was promoted to the
position of lieutenant of police in his
home city, and of course the fact
that he had figured in the government
exploit was chiefly responsible for this
promotion. Supervisor Tuition was ap-
pointed collector of the port of Phila-
delphia.. Alfred Brooks was named
as a special revenue agent. John
Mitchell had his salary raised and
was placed in position Of Importance
in the service. After the trial and
conviction of the distillers in New
Orleans in 1876, President Grant re-
appointed Mr.. Beckwith United States
attorney for the district of New Or.
leans; United States Marshal Pack
ard, who figured in the seizure and
arrests, was appointed United States
consul at Liverpool. Judge Woods,
who was the district jurist before
whom the distillers were tried, was
elected to seat on the supreme
court bench at Washington.
Copyright, by w. G. Chapman.)