The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-05-26
CROOKED wEtTsKEy.

CROOKED ygHTsKEY.
Its Effects Upon Twelve Jurymen.
HISTORY OF THE CASE AGAINST E. MYERS,
OF PETERsBURG-sUCCEs FRAUDS
PERFORATED UPON THE GOVERNMENT
THE WAYS DARK AND UNDISCOVERED
THE EXPLANATION OF EXPERTS con-
POUNDS THE EJURORS-THIRTY-s Y-sIX HOURS
OF DELIBERATION-NO VERDICT, BUT A
DISCHARGE BY THE JUDGE.
The jury in the United States Circuit
Court in the case Of E. Myers, charged with
illicit distilling, after spending six days in
hearing testimony and argument and thirty
six hours in deliberation, were discharged
by Judge Bond yesterday morning.
For several years NJ. & Z. Myers conduct
ed business in Petersburg as distillers, and
in New York, while his brother Ezekiel re-
sided in Petersburg, and gave his personal
attention to the interests Of the firm there.
He was looked upon as man OF high char
acter, and had good credit, though his COM
mand Of capital was limited. In the spring
OF 1875 the distillery was closed by the pro-
prietors and remained idle until the 23d Of
September, 1875, when Mr.. Z. Myers, hav-
ing purchased his brothers interest, re-
opened the distillery in his own name and
on his own account. The business OF whole
sale dealers and rectifers continued to be
carried on in the name Of NJ. & E. Myers, at
their store on Sycamore street, three quar-
ters Of q mile from the distilery.
On the 1st day of November, 1875, the
distillery and rectiiying house were both
seized, and
.s LIBEL SUITS
were soon after commenced against the pre-
misses of NJ. e r. Myers. Such property as
belonged to them was declared forfeited to
the Government by Judge Hughes, but the
case having been appealed to the Circuit
Court, and heard before Chief-Justice Waite,
is not yet finally decided.
The two partners were indicted for frauds
upon the Government, and Wednesday
week ago appeared, according to recogni-
zance, for trial. They elected to be tried
separately. The Government arraigned
Ezekiel Myers first, and he pleaded not
guilty to the three counts OF the Indictment,
which in substance charged him with dis
tilling about $4,000 gallons OF whiskey with
intent to deiraud the Government OF the
tax thereon. The criminal acts were al
legged to have been committed between May,
1874, and March, 1875.
The collector of Petersburg, gaugcrs and
storekeepers under him, and nearly all who
were in any way connected with the distil-
lery, members Of firms in the liquor trade
in Petersburg, Richmond, Norfolk, and
New York, and
GOVERNMENT DETECTIVES AND EXPERTS,
were examined as witnesses. 1t was clearly
proved that about four hundred barrels OF
high-wines (unrectified whiskey), which
were reported to the collector by Myers to
be dumped into the yats for rcctification,
and which Government officers certified
they had seen dumped, having also cancelled
the stamps and brands upon the barrels,
were found in the hands Of innocent pur-
chasers in the cities named. Therefore this
liquor had not been dumped; or, if dump
ed, the barrels had been refllcd with mar
rellous nicely, comparing exactly as to proof
and measurements with the liquor as it went
from the distillery. Myers, reported for
dumping liquor he doubtless did not dump,
Government officers sworc that they had
seen liquor (high-wines) dumped, when
they very probably had not; also, that they
had seen the brands and stamps on the bar
rels cancelled when they certainly had not.
Three colored witnesses, all OF one family,
sworc that they had seen Myers and his EN-
ployes drawing liquor from the clstern IN
the distillery in the absence Of the gauger,
when, according to the law, said clstern ana
cistern-room ought to have been securely
locked by the gauger and the locks sealed,
so that no false key could be inserted in them.
These witnesses were contradlcted by every
body else connected with the distillery,
white and black. They were proved to
be utterly unworthy Of belief; and
the head OF the party was shown to have
had a grudgc against Mr.. Myers because
Mr.. Myers, finding him Il bad tenant, had
ordered him out of one OF his houses. The
dispossessed tenant soon after told one Of
the distillery-men that he meant to
GET EVEN WITH MYERS YET.
There was also evidence going to show
that Il Government-man named Dittman
had lead these negroes to believe that $500
had been put up, and that in the event of
Myers's conviction they the witnesses
would secure good portion Of it. These
three-Arthur Blunt. Wesley Lundy, and
Peter Robinson-after testifying before the
grand jury at Alexandria, and before Judge
Hughes in the libel case ut Norfolk, were
carried to Washington and placed in situa-
tions in the Treasury Department at two
dollars per day. :,
In relation to this Judge Bond explained
that the District Attorney had moved that
these witnesses be required to give security
for their appearance to testify here at Rlch-
mond. The negroes could not do so. The
alternative was either to commit them to
Jail or to give them work to do in Washing
ton. The latter was accepted as preferable:
The men were taken to Washington ana
put in the Treasury Department as servants,
to clean up, wash windows, DC. When they
were wanted they were forthcoming.
Arthur Blunt would have been terrible
witness against Myers had he been man OF
undoubted veracity; but having sworn, Tor
instance, that he had never been charged
with theft, and never arrested for anything,
and it having been proved that he not only
had been arrested, but arrested repeatedly
and convicted of petit larceny at least once,
the value of his evidence was largely depre-
ciated.
ON THE INTRICATE SYSTEM
by which whiskey is made under the eye OF
the United States Goyernment-how it Is
watched when the grain is brought into the
distillery; watched when the grain is ground
into meal; watched when the meal is put in
the hopper; watched as the meal descends
into the fermenting-tubs watched when the
beer goes into the still; watched when the
LIQUOR passes from the still to the cistern,
and, more than all, watched when the liquor
(high-wines) goes out of the cistern into
the barrels, witnesses and lawyers descanted