OLEOMAKG AKLNE, 613 



"Having a thorough knowledge of the butterine business, and knowing the pos- 

 sibilities of that business if worked in certain directions and ways, I determined to 

 try it, having the desire to make large gains quick. * * * After I found that 

 some of my goods had been seized in Cincinnati I settled up my business as quickly 

 as possible and did not ship any more. I came to you voluntarily, and I sincerely 

 trust you will deal with me as leniently as the law will allow you, promising you 

 faithfully that no such thing as this will ever occur again with me, and, if I am 

 allowed to make a request, I ask that I be allowed to settle without having the 

 Western houses know anything of my doings, because I know it was very dishonor- 

 able in me to do as 1 have done, and if I am allowed to go along in life without the 

 public knowing of my misdeeds, then I feel sure that I can make a new start in 

 some way that is entirely honorable. I realize full well that I could have in some 

 way kept away from the hands of the law, but to do this would mean the staying 

 away from home and relatives, and, above all, the constant strain on my mind, and 

 with the sense that I had done a great wrong, I could not stand it. Trusting that 

 you will allow me to settle immediately, which will allow me to drift back into the 

 channels of straight, legitimate business soon, I remain." 



Notwithstanding that the authorities were induced to settle with him upon his 

 promise of abstention in the future from similar violations of the law, it appears 

 that he straightway resumed his operations, undoubtedly taking courage from the 

 success with which he had compromised the first offenses in which he had been 

 discovered. 



It is absolutely clear that for such a persistent violator of the law something more 

 than a money penalty was essential. The sentence of imprisonment imposed in this 

 case was peremptorily required by the circumstances. Nor can I say that the sentence 

 was anything but moderate. It is less than the average sentence imposed upon per- 

 sistent violators of the internal-revenue laws relating to the distillation of spirits, 

 and much less than the ordinary sentences imposed for violation of the laws against 

 the use of the mails for fraudulent purposes. 



Not only is the dignity of the law to be upheld against such persistent violations, 

 but the public is entitled to be protected by the salutary influence of stern punish- 

 ment against fraud and deception, such as were practiced in this case, by means of 

 which the petitioners were enabled to impose upon innocent purchasers as genuine 

 butter a counterfeit article, which, if sold for what it really was, would have brought 

 very much less in the open market. 



I do not think that the sentences should be interfered with. 



Who is this man Wilkins? 



As soon as detected in the act of removing oleomargarine marks at 

 Philadelphia, so that his Washington business was no longer profitable, 

 being indicted by the Federal grand jury, Wilkins was brought to Chi- 

 cago by Messrs. Braun & Fitts, the largest manufacturers of oleomar- 

 garine in the country, and given the responsible position of directing 

 the salesmen, which class have for years coached retailers in the art of 

 swindling the public. 



Wilkins held this position as confidential man with Braun & Fitts 

 during the time his case was being fought in court and the effort being 

 made to pardon him, and went directly from their employ to prison at 

 Philadelphia. 



During the time when Wilkins's pardon was being most actively 

 sought by the influence of the oleomargarine manufacturers two other 

 swindles of even as great magnitude and of the same character were 

 unearthed, not, however, by the internal-revenue department, but by 

 the agricultural department of New York. 



These swindles were gigantic in their proportions. The details were 

 excellently set forth in the Times-Herald, of Chicago, in its issue of 

 Sunday, February 11. The Times-Herald's account of this swindle 

 follows : 



SEEK FRAUD IN "OLEO" SUSPICIOUS OF PRIME BUTTER REVENUE AGENTS 

 CLAIM TO HAVE UNEARTHED A SWINDLE ON THE GOVERNMENT-SHIPMENTS 

 SEIZED AND ARRESTS MADE MORE TO FOLLOW. 



Government officials from three States are investigating what they believe to be 

 the largest oleomargarine fraud in the history of the local internal-revenue depart- 

 ment. The work of the officers has resulted in the arrest of John F. Rooney, who 



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