The National Register.
London, England, 1820-06-11 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCISE, Joss 6.
A PRSPURATIE tisrEaussiwr UPON BEER.
George lir iiiiii alids John iiiihboelr, was
charged them ihiorielahun with having used a certain
destructive compound at beer. with Intent to defraud

the Reveiu
Mr. Berry stated, that he was lately landlord of
the King's Head pia:rile-house, in Queen-street, Cheap-
side, and that on the Ylst of August last, the defendant
introduced himself to Isim, and told him he cookd
put hint in possessioli of makilig three butts of porter
out of two. The witness listened to the proposal with
apparent pleasure, and agreed to an experiment upon
one oi his bulb. Accorthugly nil the 2311 of the saute
month, the defendant Caine again to his house bringing
with him a gallon stone bottle, containing a composi-
tion of burnt sugar, cuih, rr capisc , copperas, and
oil of vitriol, and other ingredients of a similar kind.
The tl.:femlatit was introduced to ihe cellar, where the
operations of •encreastrig two into three butts, were to go
forward. 'Cue particular butt 10 be put under process
was poitiod out to him, and he drew from it twenty
galluas ul beer lie then oink eighteen gallons of water,
and poured into it the gallon of his patent crimpound,
as he called is, and a gallon of linings. the whole was
well mixer' tip and incorliorated, and ordered to be sith-
stititted lor the twenty g Aloha or beer winch had been
abstracted from the butt, and the delettdant assured the
witness, that the saleaule qtiality of the beer would not
be deteriorated, the taste and colour remaining as good
as when the beverage was in its pure state. The de-
fendant had another brittle wills him which, lie said, lie
was going to take to another putilicatt to use in the same
manner. and for tile sante purpose. The witness was
not prepared at that time to expose the defendant, or to
punish hint in any other matuter; but that lie might
have an opporttimiy of doing so as soon as possible tie
told him, that he soma(' want whither butt operated
upon in the same malmer, an; the defelidant pi unused
to call again Mt the 26th. In the locals time Mr. Berry
informed toe officers of the Excise of the transaction,
and a plait WAS arranged for the detection of the defend-
ant, wins cause on the day appointed, and went through
the whole process, as 1w had done before, on another
butt of beer. Just as he had finished. the Excise Otfi-
eels, who were concealed in Inc cellar, cause forward,
and seized the compound, which was ready to be inter-
iii aed.
The price detnawled for the patent liquid, which the
defendant made use of, was 10.. a gallon, and the wit-
ness was to have the recipe for WI.
AnOtficer of the Excise deposed, that he and a brother
officer went to the public house, kept by Mr. Berry, and
were placed by him ill the spirit cellar, next to the beer
cellar. They had not been there long before they saw
Mr. Berry and Ilse defendant conic into the beer cellar.
The beer wits drawn off, and the ingredients were pre-
pared, when witness stepped forward and seized a gal-
lon stone-bottle in the hands of the defendaut, as lie was
in the act of pouring it into the cask.
The other officer corroborated the evidence of the last
witness.
The bottle which bad been seised was here produced,
and its contents were exat ll itt ed. It contained a very
black adhesive liquid, of an extremely bitter taste and
extreme pungency. It was highly concentrated.
A Surveyor of the Excise stated, that the liquid in
question had been brought to him by one of the officers.
Ile believed it to consist mostly of burnt sugar, or
molasses, together with chili pepper, and other ingredi-
cuts of the Sallie pungent nature.
Mr. Mayo, Solicitor of the Excise, asked whether
there were any malt or hops amongst the iogredieuts.
Witness answered in the negative.
The compound was handed for inspection to Mr
Calvert, jun. and to Air. Foster, of the douse of Calvert
and Co. ?liner brewers. Mr. Foster said, he could give
no accurate imittion as to the nature of the compound.
He behest-41 It tO CU:111151 uso.tly of molasses, and ingre-
dients of gem puogency, but there certainly were no
traces of any prepatatiun of malt or hops in the stuff
produced
Souse Officers of Excise said, they went to the pre
mists of the defendaut, who was professedly a capillaire
maker ill William Street, Lambeth, on the Zito of
August, and they seized a quantity of liquid of the ...inie
kind as that produced. together with a quiaiiiity of green
copperas, atid slime drugs, app.ireitily of a powerful de-
scription, with the precise stature of which they were
sot acquainted.
The &known, it appeared, had decamped, and jail,
ment was pronounced by &fault.
The Court c tttttttttttt him in the penalty of 3801. firs
the two Alcoves which he had eonuu Lied.
The Court paused a high euloAtuatt thi the conduct of
Mr. arty, to %vitriol they said the public Wu re trreali
indebted inr t awning a system which it has to be leant
was hut too prevalent. His activity its pi, ling a stop 4.4
he career of all Piglet...int vender of prisms, fur such it',
tefendaiit was, was most praise worthy
FRIDAY, JUNE 9.

William Coates, residing in Mary Antic S:rect, S .
George's in the Lau, was charged nit information IN [Li.
vending a spurious liquid, prohibited by law, tor the
purpose of adoberatitic beer, and defrauding the res
nue, for which cift:hce he had forfeited the penalty 01
Agoo.
The defentlaat did not attend, and judgment went by
default.
Mr. Richard Berry (who was the cause of detecting
the infamiiits irdlic of a similar nature, isiter't was tried
before the Commissioners last week) stated, that he was
formerly the proprietor of the Queell'a Bead, public-
house, tit Queen Stteet, Cheapsitic. In the th of
Octob:r last, the defendant called at his house, and the
convelsr,iiiti .rroe respecting the colouring of beer ;
tlefendaii snit he was in the habit ill shaking a liquid
tot the purpose oI colouring, anti the ',rice Was 5s 241.
per gallon. %V ittiess agreed to have a gallon of the com-
pound, and the defendant went away. Mr. Berry in-
stantly gave information to the Excise, and an officer