been an assessor under the Internal Revenue law at Cincinnati. In response to this letter he came to St. Louis, and after consultation with Joyce proceeded to take charge of what he called "an organization to make some money fraudulently."

The way it was done was to evade the tax on a given amount of distilled spirits by giving a portion of the production to those distillers who might be in the organization. He first saw Alfred Bevis of Bevis and Fraser, distillers, and secured his co-operation; then that of Macklot Thompson and Peter Curron, both of whom were distillers also. Later on in the spring of 1872, Rudolph W. Ulvici came into the organization.

It was agreed among these men that they might evade about one-half of the tax or thirty-five cents on each and every proof gallon of spirits made by them respectively. One-half of the amount thus fraudulently realized was to be retained by the distillers and the other half divided between various other parties connected with the Ring organization. The making of the "Crooked Whiskey" did not actually begin until August, 1871. Megrue was the collector and he received the money from the distillers and distributed it to others who were members of the "Ring."

Megrue remained in St. Louis until November, 1872, when he returned to Cincinnati and ceased active connection with the organization that he had founded. During the time here he received money from the distillers each Saturday and disbursed it. He received from one to three thousand dollars each week from Bevis and Fraser; Macklot Thompson

turned over to him from $500.00 to $1200.00; Curron about the same, and later from Ulrici he received from $2,500.00 to $3,500.00. A portion of the amount received by Megrue was set aside to pay O. H. Avery, clerk at Washington, and the subordinate officers, such as gaugers, storekeepers, deputies, etc., the remainder being divided into five parts. He retained one-fifth of that part for himself, paid John A. Joyce, revenue agent, one-fifth; John McDonald, supervisor, one-fifth, and gave the remaining two-fifths to John Leavenworth, a gauger.

This was the beginning of the frauds in St. Louis. After Megrue left, these continued upon a much larger scale. New members were admitted, other distilleries started and a greater amount of "Crooked Whiskey" made. The scheme to defraud was actively continued until 1875 (with the exception of a few months in 1874 when Joyce was away in San Francisco). To make the conspiracy a success, it was necessary to include in the organization distillers, rectifiers, whole-sale liquor dealers, all revenue officers in St. Louis and men of influence in Washington.

The above facts were developed in the hearing and in the early part of August, 1875, the grand jury found and reported bills of indictment against the following persons, to-wit:

Conduce G. Megrue.

John McDonald, Supervisor of Internal Revenue. William O. Avery, Chief Clerk of the Treasury Department.

John A. Joyce, Revenue Agent.

Joseph M. Fitzroy, Deputy Collector.

George W. Fitzroy, Gauger.

John McFall, Gauger.

Abijah M. Everest, Gauger.
John E. Howard, Gauger.
Louis Kellerman, Gauger.
John A. Mead, Gauger.
Wm. J. Bassett, Gauger.
Findlay Robb, Storekeeper.
Richard B. Jones, Storekeeper.
Selvin D. Thorpe, Storekeeper.
Alfred Bevis, Distiller.

Edmund B. Fraser, Distiller.
Gordon B. Bingham, Distiller.
John W. Bingham, Distiller.
F. C. Fraser, Rectifier & Distiller.
Louis Teuscher, Distiller.
William R. Jonett, Distiller.
L. G. Quinlivan, Rectifier.
Benj. A. Quinlan, Rectifier.
W. H. Wadworth, Rectifier.
R. W. Ulrici, Distiller.
Gerhard Bursberg, Rectifier.
Barnett H. Engelke, Rectifier.
John L. Bernuker, Rectifier.
F. W. Bollman, Rectifier.
Edmund R. O'Hara, Rectifier.
R. August Thias, Rectifier.
C. L. Robb, Rectifier.

C. D. Robbins, Rectifier.

The charges covered conspiracy, making false reports, removing whiskey contrary to law, violation of

revenue laws, bribery, fraudulently removing stamps, destroying records, etc.

Later on the grand jury returned bills of indictment against William McKee, O. E. Babcock (Secretary to the President), Constantine Maguire, Collector of Internal Revenue, Zebulon Leavenworth and others.

The officers in Washington which the evidence connected with the "Ring" were Avery, Chief Clerk of the Treasury, and Babcock, Secretary to the President. The necessity for and value of this connection was very apparent. Avery could keep parties in St. Louis advised of any order looking to an investigation of the distilleries at St. Louis and the sums of money paid to the collector by them, Babcock could guard against examinations and prevent the commissioner of Internal Revenue from sending agents to St. Louis, etc.

Another most important member of the "Ring" was William McKee, a wealthy and influential citizen and the proprietor of a republican newspaper of wide circulation. Each and every one of the persons indicted was an active member of the republican party and an enthusiastic supporter of President Grant. They wielded great influence with the administration and virtually controlled federal patronage in St. Louis.

How it came that I was appointed United States attorney has heretofore been explained. I was a republican and as a delegate had supported General Grant in both of the conventions that nominated him for the presidency and voted for him at the elections in 1868 and 1872. The fact that I was a republican

and all of the accused were of the same party, did not influence my action in the least. I tried to do my duty as a sworn public officer and was not swerved from that responsibility by the cry "he is hurting the party." Every possible obstacle was thrown in the way of the prosecution by selfish, dishonest and unprincipled politicians, whose false representation to General Grant embittered him against Bristow and other officers engaged in unearthing the frauds and punishing the guilty. It is a great pleasure to know (as will be hereafter shown) that General Grant, before he was taken to Mt. McGregor where he died, became convinced of the wrong that he in thought and deed had done his brave, faithful and courageous Secretary of the Treasury, Benjamin H. Bristow, and, like a brave man that he was, he openly and frankly apologized for the wrong done.

Nearly all of the persons indicted, except McDonald, Joyce, Avery, McKee and Babcock, pleaded guilty. McDonald was tried, convicted and sentenced to the penitentary. The trial of Avery followed, and he was convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary. Joyce was tried at Jefferson City for an offense committed in the Western District and was there convicted in a trial before Judge Krekel and sentenced to the penitentiary. McKee was tried, convicted and sentenced to six months in jail and to pay a fine of $5,000.00. Babcock was tried and acquitted. Con Maguire, the Collector of Internal Revenue, pleaded guilty to previous knowledge of the frauds and failure to report them. He was given a jail sentence of six months and a fine of $5,000.00.

As before said, every conceivable scheme was