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Show 34 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFBAIES. marketed under various labels were prohibited, and the special officers were, therefore, enabled to handle the matter effectively, notwith-standing the tricks and schemes of the brewers and dqalers to adopt disguises and other deceits as to the concoctions they dealt in. The chief special officer reports that the railways faithfully abided ' by their compact with him of the year before and refused to receive -the shipments of low-grade beers, even though they were subjected to several hundred damage suits on account of their refusal. But during the months of August, September and October the brewers made a concerted attempt to overwhelm him with litigation, shipping in stuff from every direction simultaneously and boldly opening their establishments, having retained more than twenty of the foremost lawyers in the Territory to conduct their campaign for them. The attorne~sf or the brewers, in return for hiis activity in seizing and destroying the malt and fermented beverages, brought against him a numbe? of damage and injunction suits. He was per-sonally arrested four times for " malicious destruction of personal property," by which was meant in each case low-grade beer, and was once arrested for larceny in seizing and destroying a large amount of whisky and '' joint" paraphernalia. In the former eases lie was discharged on a preliminary examination, and in the latter case not only was he discharged hut the complainants themselves were bound over to the grand jury. One of these complainants, Mr. Johnson says, has since been killed in afight with a deputy, another has gone to the penitentiary for life for killing a man who gave information against him, and a third is reported as still under indictment for crime. Sixteen attempts were made to enjoin Mi. Johnson in the federal courts from interfering with the beer joints, but without suc-cess. Damage suits to the extent of $157,000 were filed against him, with the result, however, that all the cases were dismissed at the cost. of the complainants. His deputies also have met with strong opposi-tion in their work and have been arrested a number of times for the destruction of property; but all the cases against them were nolle prosed or dismissed on a preliminary examination. Between July 1, 1907, and November 16, 1907, (the latter being the date when statehood took effect) Mr. Johnson and his deputies made 1,201 different seizures of intoxicating liquors, comprising a total of: 85,657 pints distilled spirits, 130.009 pints beer, 1,829 pints of wine, 3,062 bottles intoxicating bitters, a . 1,574 gallons cider. I ' During the fiscal year ended June 30,1908, 551 arrests were made, the grand total for the whole campaign in the Indian Territory being 1,142 arrests, including about 100 cases for gambling and 15 cases for |
