The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-14

part of a freight car load seized at
Evansville in March, 1881.
1t was seized at request of the
New Orleans prohibition Office
which had learned how it had been
struggled into the New Orleans port
and shipped in car, labeled
lumber" for Chicago.
Woodcock believes that 1000 pints
is an exaggerated estimate of the
amount of liquor missing, it was
reported here today.
Report of his investigators sets
out that order for destruction of
1882 packages, more or less each
containing approximately twelve
pints, was issued by Federal Judge
Robert G. Baltzell, June 80, 1881.
Accepted Agents Count
The records also show that on
June 80 and July /, 1881, the whisky
in "1,154 packages" was poured
down the sewer in the federal build
ing basement.
The difference in the amount Of
liquor ordered destroyed and the
amount reported destroyed is twen-
ty-eight packages. or 1886 pints.
At the time the disappearance was
learned, ALT o. Meloy, United
States marshal, stated he had not
counted the liquor when it was
turned over to him, but had &C
cepted records of prohibition agents,
who checked it out of the freight
car and into the federal building
storeroom.
Woodcock's report holds that the
only actual count made was in June,
1881, when the New Orleans office
sent to the Indianapolis Office an
inquiry as to amount of the seizure.
Gave Whisky to Girl
The count at that time was 1.154
packages. That count, Woodcock IS
informed, was not a numerical
count, but an estimate by two
agents, who inspected the stored
liquor, found it in a cord so many
packages long and so many pack
ages high, and computed the num-
Der of packages to be 1854.
Woodcock said no one seems TO
know how the figure 1872 packages
ever got into the courts destruction
order.
The only hint Of criminality I'M
covered by Woodcock's investigators,
it is said, was in statement by one
witness that a certain employee in
the federal building, whose name
Woodcock will not reveal, gave some
whisky of this particular type to a
girl. The employee denies the
charge, according to Woodcock.
Britt Transferred South
It is pointed out that John w.
Morrill,, present deputy administra-
tor for the southern Indiana district,
in no way is connected with the
disappearance as he was not sent
t. Indianapolis until Feb. 7, 1882.
months after the loss was learned.
Morrill, succeeded Charles Britt.
who was denoted to special agent
and assigned to New Orleans.
First hint Of the liquor theft was
received when George w. Bugbee, a
federal dry agent, who had charge
of the liquor storeroom, where hun
dreds of bottles Of confscated liquor
were stored, reported he had noticed
several times there had been a
shortage in the amount of LIQUOR
seized and placed in the room.
Some Of the liquor missing was
part Of the Evansville freight car
load. Also reported missing was
beer and ale seized March
II, 1881, by deputy sheriffs in a raid
on mansion at Eightieth street
and College avenue, leased ny
Claude and Nellie Bitrof.
Refused to Keep Key
Bugbee refused to keep a key TO
the storeroom longer and turned ID
over to Britt. Bugbee is said to
have insisted on having witnesses
him to the storeroom in
the future, so there could be no
charges of irregularity against him.
Officials of the Indiana Anti.
Saloon League are said to have in
vestigated the disappearance, ana
to have obtained information that
one dry agent had entertained
lavishly in his northside apartment,
and had served fine liquors, pre-
including some Of that
taken from the storeroon.
The federal building liquor store
room first gained notoriety six years
ago when it was learned SOS, 600
worth of liquor from the Squibbs
distillery. Lawrenceburg, Ind, had
been stolen.
withdrawing also was charged in
that case, several janitcrs being