The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-21 00:00:00

WANDSWORTH.

Mr. Thomas Green, Mr. Young Green, his son,
and Mr. Richard Wright, entered proprietors of a
sugar-making manufactory, situated in Bolingbroke-
road, Battersea, were summoned to appear at this
Court yesterday, to answer to an Excise information,
which contained no less than six counts, charging
them with offences against the Excise laws.
The defendants failed to appear, but deputed Mr.
Druce, a solicitor, and the clerk to an attorney, to
defend them.

Robert Francis, the first witness sworn, said he was
an Excise officer. He gave proof of the service of
the summons, after which he proceeded to make the
following statement :—The defendants had for some
time past carried on the business of sugar-makers,
and as such they were entered by the Excise. The
firm appeared to be a respectable one ; but still the
witness, whose duty it was as an Excise officer to
enter defendants' premises, had his suspicions aroused
by seeing a quantity of liquor occasionally fermenting.
This unusual and suspicious occurrence caused the
witness to make a complaint to Mr. Metheringham, the
supervisor, and on 30th of May last they went to the
defendants' premises in Bolingbroke-row, Battersea.
Witness and the supervisor searched the house, and
found in the cellar 4.5 gallons of plain British spirits,
or low wines, and in a small room on the ground-
floor 35 gallons of the same Material. All this was
seized. After the search had continued for some
time they found a still, and they examined the steam-
boiler, and found it in every respect fitted up as a
still. In it they found a quantity of wash. This, to-
gether with all other utensils on the premises was
seized. An evaporating-tub was found, nearly filled
with water, and in its centre was placed an overflow-
pipe, which was quite unnecessary in the manufacture
of sugar. Defendants came into the premises at this
time. Mr. Wright said it was an experiment. Mr.
T. Green said he was ruined—it was a last resource ;
and Mr. Y. Green said they were driven to it. Mr.
Wright afterwards said that Mr. Thomas Green sug-
gested the experiment, and wished it to be tried ;
and Mr. T. Green, in reply, said it was Wright's
fault. The three conjointly afterwards said the altera-
tion in the sugar duties had ruined them about four
months previous to the seizure. Witness had seen a
quantity of wash fermenting upon the premises and
spoken to Mr. Wright about.it, who said he had put
something to it to make it ferment. 'Witness ex-
plained to him that it was very improper to ferment
wash or syrup, and asked what he intended to do
with it, and Mr. Wright said he was trying to pro-
duce an article proper for the bottoms of British
wines, and when he had seen the effect he should
destroy it. The witness requested to be present when
the destruction took place, and it was agreed he
should, but previous to the day appointed the wash
was removed. Another time the witness saw a quan-
tity of wash fermenting, and one of the defendants
said it was caused by the heat of the weather. The
witness, at the conclusion of his evidence, produced
a sample I
of the spirit seized. _

The Supervisor pressed only for one penalty,
namely, 1001.; and that was inflicted by Mr. Paynter,
the Magistrate.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
LIVERPOOL AUTUMN MEETING.
LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY MORNING, TWELVE O'CLOCK.
The following entries closed last night