Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-13
j. s. AGENTS FIND
WHISKY CLIQUE"
Disti|Iers, Dealers, Politicians
and D. c. Woman Said to
Be involved.

CHICAGO October 13 (by the Asso
ciated Press) Government inVesti-
cation of the activities of a ring of
whisky dealers operating on ma
tional scale has been begun as the re-
suit of confessions obtained from sew
eral Chicago saloonkeepers, it. has
been declared by federal agents.
The confessions are said to have i'm
plicated officials of several distilling
companies and politicians in various
parts Of the country and to have re-
vealed plans to make Chicago the
center of their proposed scheme.
According to federal agents. Fl. A.
Sadler, former New York stock brok-
er. is said to have declared that he
paid $4,000 to a Chicago politician
who has been employed as deputy
United States revenue agent in the
office of Collector Mayer, to secure
influence in the issuance of forged
federal permits under which whisky
running in Chicago has been carried
on.
The indictment Of at least a score
of persons on charges of conspiracy
to violate the prohibition amendment
will be asked this week Of the federal
grand jury. it was stated.
Nearly Million Made.
The information placed at the dis
posal of the federal authorities by
Sadler is said to have disclosed that
the pOolieSSlHS dlTeduy cdTfleu OH III
Chicago by the whisky ring has been
SO extensive as to have Melted those
engaged in its operation close to
81 900. 900.
1t was disclosed. it was said. that
those engaged in the traffic had not
found it necessary to forge permits
for the removal of liquor. but had
been able to obtain bona ffde ones. and
also later to remove discriminating
records from the office Of the prohibit
ton official through the corruption of
officials intrusted with the task of
suppressing the sale of liquor.
One woman, employed in one of the
government of1ices in Washington.
was said to have been named as
pawn in the hands of the whisky
ring"
The disclosures regarding the Chi
cago operations of the ring are said
to have resulted from the seizure
1000 cases Of whisky of a 1.2o0-case
shipment addressed to H. A. Sadler. in
care Of the American Distilling Com
pany. The liquor was shipped from
Louisville and its seizure was followed
by the arrest of Sadler, who was later
released on bonds.
Gave Authorities Information.
After sadler's arrest here. he is said
to have proceeded to New York and
given information to the authorities
there relative to operations of east
ern distillers. He is said to have de-
clared that outlaw liquor. valued at
millions of dollars. was shipped from
New York. Pittsburgh and Louisville
into Chicago.
According to federal agents, Sadler
declared that he was asked by a res
taurant man in New York why he did
not get into the whisky business. This
man told him, he said, that he could
get permit if he went to the Of
fees Of certain insurance brokers. He
said he followed this advice and paid
$500 for bond for a permit and an
additional $1,000 after he made his
first liquor deal, which netted him
$4,000. Then, he said, he transferred
his operations to Chicago. because he
heard that the price of whisky was
higher in Chicago and that bigger
deals could be made here.
The evidence in the hands of the
federal authorities will be presented
to the October grand jury this week,
it was officially stated at the federal
building last night.