New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-22
THE WHISKY TRIALS.
Second Days PrOceedinGs.

THE WHISKY TRIALS.
Second Days Prsceedisgs.
Tho prosecution opened the case Will
Af. John Cockrem, collector of interna
revenue, who testified that he had beel
collector since July, 1874; had not the no
ticeof Fehrenbsck . intention to start
distillery; had that Of January IA, 1874, O
intention to decrease the capacity of hi
distillery, tho bond being signed by P
Keenan, and o. H. 0arstendiek for $l7, 900
Tho certificate Of tho mortgage Office tina,
there were no mortgages ON the distillery
were shown; also the survey, . plan re-
auired by law, of the capacity of the distil
lery. For TIVE nty- -four hours it was corr
US, rye 7l2 gallons. The proposition te
decrease was made January Is, 1874. The
books, accounts and forms were then pre-
sented. The application to commence dis
tilling was dated December q, 1873. The
bonds were two of $4,000 each.
On cross examination he stated careful
search had been made for documents rela-
tive to the Fehrenbach distillery. which
should be filed in pigeon holes. Bonds are
not entered in books. All the storekeeper'e
reports are in court. Any one who has
business in the Office may have access to
the papers, gaugers, storekeepere, etc. Mo
ney accounts are kept in book. The
gauger's returns for January. February,
March and April, 1874. were then identified
by the witness.
Mr.. James j. Brooks was next called
He said he was the assistant chief of the
secret service of the United States: was a
revenue agent from January, 1874, to May
of the same year; had been in the service
for nine years. When . distiller desires to
CONNIE nee business certain forms must be
gone through with. The capacity must be
detailed, plan drawn, and every require
ment of the law to prevent fraud strictly
complied with. The government requires
to know the amount of grain received,
the amount Of spirits distilled and every
circumstance connected with it. The
amount that each distillery can produce
should appear on the books both of the
proprietors and the United States officers.
Every one must mako ont plan in tripli-
cate. Two 20 to the United States authori-
ties. They must show everything connected
with it. The whole business is first under
tho inspection of the gauger. Afterwards
thespirit goes to the warehouse aud is under
the eye of the night and day storekeepers.
If these officers and tho distiller are honest
their accounts should agree. In the present
case the model shows that there are nine
mash tubs. These are in the distillery
proper. The spirits are carried by pipes
into the cistern room, over which the
gauger has full control. After this it goes
to tho warehouse. The witness was 80.
lected before April, 1874, to investigate the
whisky matters in New Orleans. To assist
HIM he selected Mr.. Mitchell, Mr..
Reilly and his SOD, Alfred H. Brooks.
Mr.. Holt and another were added
afterward. April 2, Tuesday, he reached
New Orleans. He had desired authority
to ask General Emory for assistance, if
needed, but Commissioner Douglass de-
clined to give it, though promising to tele-
graph when he arrived in New Orleans.
he became aware that his
presence was known, and also his business.
On calling on General Emory he found
that officer knew nothing of the matter till
that day, and no one else knew of it ex-
oept one who could be trusted. He was
furnished with ten soldiers, and proceeded
to Algiers to Fehrenbach's distillery. At
half-past eleven, April 8, he found Mr..
and his son there. He exam
ned the distillery. and drew a diagram of
ts condition. OF the nine tubs Nos. 6 and
were empty. BY the record of the dis
illery the notice of decrease was given
February l3, to take effect on the fourteenth.
The records are not completely written up,.
ss they should be. On that day tubs one
md two and four should be full and were
10; No. 3 should be empty and was full;
No. was full and should have been
'mpty; Nos. 6 and 7 we're empty and should
lave been full; No. 8 was not entered in the
'ook, but was full, as was correct; No. 9
vas full, but should have been emptied at
eleven o'clock; 1t was not in the right cor.
lition to be emptied. A long examination
N the model of the distillery followed. In
he top of the mash tubs were holes six
nches square. From them the spirit could
70 drawn in defiance of the law; it could be
tipped out in bowl.
In addition to the arrangements detailed
ach distillery must have q bonded ware
ouse. approved by the Secretary. In this
ase it was thirty feet from the distillery.
hat ie, between the road and the river.
he warehouse is 60 situated that loads of
rain may be carried in or liquor carried
ut at the river end. At this time it was
'cked. The witness asked young Mr.. Fehren-
aoh fOk The key, and being told he did not
ave it, unlocked it with an adze. There
'ere ffty-two barrels of distilled spirits
here. This was not shown on the plan.
here were no stamps on the packages; no
gal marks. A United States soldier was
ut in charge, and the witness went off to
famine the books. They should have
1own entries on the fourth of April. |
here were none. They should have
aown the amount of material received,
'irits made, where they were or to whom
rived. They did not show this. Yet these
ooks tally with those of the United States