The morning call., 1893-02-22
CAUGHT HIM AT 1T.
Using UncanCeled Stamps
and Revenue Marks.
A "SHERRY" TRICK BARREL.
A Government Detective Follows a
Wagon, and the Result Was an
Important Arrest.

George Lang. the proprietor Of the Calls
toga Distillery, has again come to grief in
his endeavors to transact business regard
less OF the draconian code for the collection
OF United States internal revenue taxes In
July, 1891, his distllery at Calistega was
seized for violation of the revenue laws and
sold under decree of forfeiture issued out
OF the United States Circuit Court. Mr..
Lang bought in his distillery, but the
episode cost him more than $1,000.
Yesterday Mr.. Lang was again arrested.
together with George KoOpman. formerly a
liquor merchant, and Al Mann, a salesman
in the employ of Carroll e. Carroll. the
wholesale liquor merchants. Each was re-
leased on $1,000 bail to await the action Of
the Grand Jury.
The arrest of the three men was the re-
suit of some very clever detective work by
Revenue Officers Thomas and Nelson.
A few days ago Mr.. Thomas regarded
with suspicious eye the transfer from the
sidewalk to an express-wagOn of an empty
barrel which had come from MitchePs
saloon, at the junction of Golden Gate
avenue, Taylor and Market streets.
The casual observer would have noticed
nothing exceptional in the occurrence.
Neither would the officer, but for the fact
that the barrel was an empty package and
bore up0n one end certain undefaced stamps,
brands and marks, all OF which possessed q
certain significance to him with his expert
knowledge of the methods by which un-
scrupulous liquOr-dealers and rectltiers seek
to defraud the Government.
The package was uble-S stamped grape
brandy barrel, and all the brands placed on
1t by the United States gaugers were still
on its head in all their pristine beauty. The
omission to destroy these marks once the
grape brandy has been drawn off Is a crime
punis liable by both fine and impriS Onment.
Mr.. Thomas saw barrel Of this character
being carried away. He concluded it was
going to some dark corner to be reflled with
brandy upon which the taxes had not been
paid. lie determined to follow it.
The express wagon pulled up in front OF
the building 113 Minna street. under the
California Athlete Club rooms. The barrel
was soon stored within. The officers hired
room in theoppOsite building and from its
window watched the suspected premises.
On Thursday morning Al Nam. whom
they knew by sight, came along and after
looking SOmew hat nervOusly up and down
that narrow thoroughfare went into the
building. Soon afterward an express wagon
came along. Upon il was a half-barrel
marked SHERRY" George Koopman was
on the wagon and he took the half-barrel
inside. This package, as was afterward
aScertained, was filled with grape brandy of
100-pIo0f. The quantity was twenty-five
gallons.
A few minutes later the officers left their
observatory window. Opening the door Of
113 Minna street they walked on their toe
tips TO tile back of the store. Here they
found Mann in the act Of pouring the new
brandy from the sherry package TO the
d0uble-stamped barrel which had come from
Mitchell's saloon.
Mr.. Mann did not know the officers or the
purport of their visit. He proceeded very
calmly with his work, exercising particular
care not to spill one drop.
what are you doing here?' asked Mr..
Thomas.
"Oh. just emptying some sherry" an
swered Mr.. Mann in his most complacent
tone.
Pretty strongly fortified. amt it?" re-
marked the officer, as he thrust two Of his
fingers into the bunghole and licked them.
Caught In the act and confronted by the
evidence of his guilt, Mann, as soon as the
officers placed him under arrest, said that
he was only trying TO make little money.
kOOpman was meanwhile secured. He
admitted that he had bought the twenty
fve-gall0n barrel of grape brandy from
George Lang Of the California Wine and
Distilery Company, II First street. Koop-
man said he had paid Lang 90 cents gall
lon for the brandy and had sold it TO Mann
for 81 % a gallon. Had Mann sue eeded
in selling il according to the old brands and
stamp value, which would have indicated
that il was made in 1888. he would have
sold it for So gallon, making profit Of
81 20 gallon.
Tie charge against Lang, Mann and
Koopman is that of aiding and abetting in
c0ncealing and removing distilled spirits
upon which the taxes had not been paid.
The offense upon conviction is punishable
with fine Of from $500 TO $1,000 and iM-
pris0nment from six months 10 five years.
At Lang's warehouse Office Thomas found
the stencllplate with which the word
SHERRY" had been printed on the head of
the barrel containing the brandy taken
from his place.
There are now two criminal charges
against Lang. He has never been prose-
cuted in criminal action for his violation
of the revenue law when his Calstoga dis
tillery was seized and confiscated.