The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-12

The Secret Excursion to
Barren Island.
Revenue Ofhcers and United States Troops Com
binsd Storm an Illicit Distillsry-A Profit
able Excursion-An InfoYmer Who
Informed to Purpose-Great
Bravery Of the Troops Before
an Invisible Enemy

One OF the most important seizures made for
some time by the internal revenue Of1cials was &C
comphshed on Barren Island on Tuesday morning.
1t consisted OF an Illicit dlstiery one OF the largest
in the country, and the existence OF which was
not suspected until short time past, when 1t
came In the usual way by information given to the
Internal Revenue ONCE in this city by an indi-
vidual who had 'peached" ON the remainder OF
the conspiratOrs. The internal revenue officers,
wliile showing commendabe zeal in their opera
lions when once they were informed OF the ex-
istence OF the STILL until the information came, had
not the faintest idea that such institution had
been In full blast for at least several months.
THE EMBARKING
On Tuesday morning, about seven O'Clock, several
revenue officers embarked on board the revenue
steamer Henry Smith, and proceeded down the
bay In the party were Messrs. George M.
Birdsall, william II. White. Edward McLeer
Deputy Collector OF the First district e. r. Ryan,
W. Fryer and others. Once On board, they imme.
diately steamed away towards the Narrows, and
landed at the Fort Hamilton dock.
On the evening before 100 troops had been
ordered by General Gedney, commanding at the
fort, to be in readiness by hafpast six O'Clock the
next morning They were fully armed ana were
furnished with one days ratiOns. These troops
formed portions OF companies G, and OF the
Third artillery. They were under the command
respectively-Company G. OF Brevct Lieutenant
Colonel Alexander Piper, Captain OF Third artiI-
iery, commanding; First Lieutenant John L. Tier.
nan; Company I-Brevet Major Lorenzo Lorain.
Captain Third artillery; Brevet Captain John b.
Eaton, First Lieutenant; Second Lieutenant, J. M.
Calf; Company E-First Lieutenant A. M. Harralt
and Second Lieutenant W. +. Birkhimer.
THE BOLD SOLDIER BOYS.
These were rapidly transferred on board the
Henry Smith, where they stacked arms and lay of,
the 0f1cers In the meantime being RECALLED with
breakfast by the revenue officers who were over
j0yed at the prospect before them of making good
capture. With the party was the informer on the
whole arrangement. who, however, kept very
shady and whose name was kept private. 1t
LEAKED out, however, that he had been employed
on board the schooner Stephen Hamil-
ton, which had been engaged for some
months in carrying molasses from New York
TO Barren Island, and carry ing rum
back. The motives which lay at the bottom Of this
mau's treachery were no doubt those OF gain in
formers being accorded moety In all afairs of this
kind. The wisdom OF the plan is proved by the
fact that the Illicit distlery had existed so long
and that 1t might have gone on for years to come
had not this informer turned up. The trip from
Fort Hamilton to Barren Island took some Two
hours, so that it was very near eleven O'Clock be-
lore the island was sighted and the men got IN
readiness.
why THE MILITARY WAS ON HAND.
The reason OF SO formidable force OF United States
troops to make a raid on one dstilery was the
fear amonR the revenue officers that there might
IL Is well known that these men will generally
fgnt sooner than surrender, unless there be an
overwhelming force TO capture them, as has been
already proved on several OCCASIONS notably .he
recent RAIDS OF the United States Secret Service
detectives in Tennessee. In this case the officers
wished TO guard against any attempt Of the KIND
as well as to have sufficient force OF men on hand
TO make thorough search OF the island.
from distance as the steamer approached,
men could be seen endeaVoring to get schooner
moored to dock away into the citing, but for
some time their attempts appeared to be ihte.
such hurry that they cut the cables and dropped
anchor in the creek, evidently under the idea that
seeing the schooner away from the land, the OH.
GERS would not believe she had anything to do with
the business The men no doubt were convinced
that something wrong was In the wind, as they
knew the approaching steamer was certainly not
for pleasure party, nor could 1t be on any bust
ness except something OF a dsagreeabie character.
AT BARREN ISLAND.
place pointed ont BY the informer as tie location
going around to the dock Of the 0sr ~
Company, which mas its large establishment
Immediately adjoining the water. Here the
whole party discmbarKed and formed in order,
che steamer in the meantime remaining at the
dock. The troops, headed by the informer and &C
for the place designated, which, outside, had
all the appearance or one OF the moss bunker fish
oil factories with which the island ls studded. In
deed 1t was under this guse that the distilling OF
spirits had been carried on, ana all supposed that
the product OF the place was fish oil instead of
-. TO reach the place which was being sought after
ing house, and those present describe both the
sight aud the stencil as most horrible, the
floors in all stages OF decomposition. Many
Of the party were made absolutely SICK
by TINS oo Snort experience; 1t was then even
some places was waist Deep and which caused the
men no small amount OF suffering, none OF them
length the building was reached, though it may be
well imagined that the time lost In all these
preparations had given plenty OF time tor the rum
conspratOrs to escape.
THE REVENUE OFFICERS PLEASED
Upon forcing open the door even the revenue
onicias themselves, who had been led to expect
something pretty big, were astounded. Inside the
factory and without the slightest attempt at con.
ceanent, were all the paraphernalia OF the largest
Kind OF distillery. On one side OF the place were
three large steam boilers, on the other six I'm
mense mash watts, about ten feet III diameter, and
still, about ave feet high by seven feet in diam
cter-a very valuable apparatus. Besides all this
1nere were the pipes and copper para
WORK had evidently only just ceased Tor the boilers
were still IN full blast though one fire had been
weksed in an evident 70 bow the ee Wholly
concern to atoms, showing the desperate CHAR
acter OF che men. Had the party arrived lew
moments later 1t is likely they would have been
just In time to have been blown, in one mass,
into eternity Immediately Colonel Piper
went In and saw the state OF affairs, he
immediately ran to the safety valve and
let it blow on steam thus saving the
whole structure. The mash watts were found to be
full OF mash, also showing that the concern had
been in iull operation but a lew moments before.
Fifty thousand gallons Of mash were found in the
place. In the meantime, strict search for some OF
the beings who had been dong all this work was
made but none could be found. Five suspicious
looking men around the place were arrested, how
ever, and made to do work. Only one OF these was
subsequently brought to the city, as 1t was FOUND
that nothing could be proved against the Others.
THE OFFICERS STILL MORE PLEASED
But In the basement OF the establishment sight
greeted the eyes or the officers which filled them