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

DDIHLneHC, lie lu6L O6-
tectiVe Brooks at the Pennsyl-
yanfa Railroad station in Phil
adelphia, and when ne started not
even the members of his family knew
his destination or the purpose of his
journey. When Kelly met Brooks at
the gate leading to the train, he hand
ed him ticket to New Orleans by
way Of the great Jackson route.
A word of preface may help to ex-
plain how Kelly came to receive this
assignment, which was to prove one
of the most dangerous and important
in his whole professional career. While
he was a police officer in the twenty
second police district of Philadelphia,
he was going to his home early one
morning in January, 1874, and pass
ing a big distillery on goth street
above Berks, he was accosted by a
voice which whispered huskily:
rs that you, Joe?"
1t was so dark and foggy that a
person could hardly see his face be-
fore him; but on the impulse of the
moment Kelly replied Eyes," and then
halted to await developments. Present
" a two-horse team, filled with illicit
liquor which had been distilled in the
factory, started out of the place. Kel-
~ jumped into the wagon and pulled
pistol on the driver and directed
him to go to a certain point in the
city, which happened TO be the po-
cskn he nj
der arrest. The seizure of this distill
cry and the arrest of the government
storekeeper and his conviction which
followed, was the means of bringing
Frank Kelly before the notice of his
superior officers both in Philadelphia
and Washington.
The sequel was this mysterious as
signment which began at the Broad
Street station in Philadelphia. After
they had fairly started on their jour
ney, Mr. Brooks joined Kelly in the
car and introduced him to the other
two men, one being Alfred Brooks, his
son, and the other John Mitchell,
another secret service operative. Mr..
Brooks explained the mission to the
party in a few words.
A short time before, President
Grant, Simon Cameron and Alexander
internal revenue for Pennsylvania, had
a conference at the white house con-
corning the operations of the whisky
ring, which had become a national
schandal and was so powerful that the
government was being robbed of mil
lions of dollars. Gen. Grant, who was
deeply interested in probing the mat
ter to the bottom, leaned over his
desk, and with the inevitable stump
of a cigar between his set teeth, an
nounced his purpose of transferring
all supervisors of internal revenue in
every section of the country.
Mr.. Tuition at this point expressed
a doubt concerning the wisdom of
such action He said it would be the
means of Furnishing many good officers
and would not be just.
General Grant took a fresh grip on
his cigar and said:
What am | to do, then?"
Mr.. Tuition replied:
Find out the identity of the crook
ed distillers and the government Of
ticers who are shielding them, and
punish BOTH
1t was suggested to the president
that Detective James j. Brooks was a
safe man to intrust with an important
work of this character and that he
could get Detective Frank Kelly to
assist him.
The president replied Immediately:
Il will do as you advise-we will
take Brooks and Kelly"
This explains why Detective Kelly,
Detective Brooks, his son. and John
Mitchell were bound for New Orleans
on the Sth day of April in 1874.
In his pocket Mr.. Kelly carried a
letter from Secretary of War Belknap
to the commandant of the garrison at
New Orleans, directing him to furnish
the bearer-Frank Kelly-at a mo-
ments notice, such a number of sol
diers as he should call for. This COM
munication was significant. It indi-
Gated very clearly that they were to
act alone and without the aid, assist
ance or knowledge of any of the gov