The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-12-01
Former KenOsha Federal Official Makes Start
ling Revelations on Witness Stand
at Milwaukee.
TESTIMONY INVOLVES K
KENOSHANS
Custer Tells OF the Handling Of Sums of $4,000 to
Gain Protection for the Chicago
Wisconsin Whiskey Ring.

! last witness called by the governments
on Tuesday afternoon and he went
through with the whole story without
hitch, repeatedly referring to notes
which he had made. He brazenly adj
united the acceptance of brides to aid
IN the distribution of the cars of
whiskey which came into Wisconsin
through the port" of Kenosha.
Custer declared that he had person.
ally given Herzog brides of $4,000.
The accusations of Custer came as
the climax to a day filled with sensa-
lions and revelations, and was the first
evidence presented by the government
which directly accused Herzog of COM
plicity in the operations of the Mil
waukee and Kenosha whiskey ring.
Previous witnesses had established
the fact that the mysterious Jacob
Lederer" of Budar trial fame was none
other than Harry Feuer of Chicago,
now under indictment in connection
with the ring activities and suppoced
Ito be the '.braiEs" of ttt egmbil.s 4
lit Was ale established erzog IA
charge of the whiskey car which
was seized here On October Ia, 1920,
when department of justice agents
made the seizure.
Give Exhaustive Details.
Exhaustive details of the machina-
tions of the whiskey ring were given by
several government witnesses before
| Custer was called to the stand as the
star witness. Custer is supposed to
have been the go between in all tran
saction between ring members and
Herzog
Assistant United States Attorney
Sondel caused surprise by calling
Custer, and a sudden silence fell over
the court room as the former revenue.
agent walked quietly to his seat
and took the oath administered by
Clerk of Court Fred Westfshl.
He looked pale, and appeared to be
slightly nervous, but spoke in clear
and well modulated voice. His words
came carefully, but at the same time
unhesitatingly. Herzog, from the de-
PENDANTS seat, stared at him intently
during the proceedings, and allowed
his lips to curl into a cynical smile
several times as alleged transactions
between the two were described.
Met Him in Ball Club.
Custer said that he first met Her
zog in 1908 when he was a. member Of
the baseball team at Manitowoc man
aged by John Herzog, the defendants
father, on which Bert was employed
as bat boy. In 1912, he said, he again
played on the Manitowoc team, and
this time Herzog was member of it,
and in 1920 they both played on the
same team again.
On June 10, when the car Of whiskey
came to Kenosha, Custer went on,
Kiltz, the freight agent, asked him for
advice, and Custer then tried to call
Joe O'Neil at Milwaukee, but failed to
get a connection. He then went to
the station and encountered Harry
Feuer and Charles Erler on the plat
form, he said. Feuer introduced him
self, the witness continued, and asked
him to take ride in his car, which
he did, and they drove to Erler's sa-
loon in car operated by Arthur Birk,
dnOtHef cO-ue1eHudHC III peHuIHS IN
dictments of ring members.
In one of the living rooms over the
Erler saloon, Custer charged Feuer ex-
planned the whiskey deal, saying,
whats the harm in it? Everybody's
doing it. Don't be poor devil all your
life You might as well get in on this
stuff" Feuer then proffered Custer
$500 as "starter" and Custer ad-
mitted that he accepted this money.
Price of Packard.
The next day, the witness went on,
he went to the Office of Walter Burke,
Kenosha attorney, and Burke explain
/ ed that something had gone wrong and
that officials must be fixed" Custer
Continued on page 81