The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-17
AS in KENTUCKY.
Distillers Defrauding the
Government.
PROSECUTION THREATENED.
Vegetable Peddlers Handling
Mountain Dew"
ALL THE ACCUSED ARE ITALIANS
Thirty Brandy Manufacturers Must
Show Cause Why Their Stills
Should Not Be Seized.

Brandy manufacturers throughout the
State, who have been adding to their
assets by violating the internal revenue
laws. are suffering intensely just at pres
ent from the effects of being found out
There are hundreds of them who have
been posing before their fellowmen as
good. honest citizens. while they have
been defrauding the Government and in
Juring their rivals who have paid the taxes
required. Against these crooked distillers
an edict has gone forth and they are to-day
in danger of losing their property and
atoning for their sins in prison.
The internal revenue officers in this city
received instructions yesterday from the
commission al Washington to proceed
against the law-breakers at once and
notices were accordingly sent TO some
thirty brandy manufacture against
whom evidence has been obtained, that
unless they Immediately forward the taxes
due for LIQUOR removed from their dis
tileries and sold in violation of law their
stills will be cOnfiscated and they will be
prosecuted
The evidence against these distillers,
who are Italians living in Calaveras,
MaripOsa and Tuolumne counties, is com
plete. The reports of brandy produced in
amount that could have been and probably
was produced, and the discrepancy was
startling. In some cases very large still
was reported to have produced very
small quantity of brandy, and in some
cases, when the Governments agents
knew that brandy was being made. no re-
port was furnished. A systematic in
vestigation was ordered. and, as has been
stated, thirty distillers were found guilty
or breaking the law, some of them for
years and others for a few weeks.
The revenue officers were exceedingly
reticent when questioned about their in
Vestgation yesterday, but IL was learned
that the Italians in the mountains of
Tuolumne. Mariposa and Calaveras are
not the only offenders. and that there are
many throughout the State who will be
called upon TO settle their accounts with
the Government or take the consequences.
1t was difficult task TO ascertain how
the distillers disposed of their crooked"
brandy. They could neither ship nor sell
it openly for fear of detection, and in
their hands it was worthless. So the
revenue men reasoned and set watches
upon the suspected places, The result of
their surveillance was the discovery that
the brandy was taken from the distilleries
ia small quantities by vegeta ble-peddlers.
who ON account OF its cheapness sold 1t
without difficulty.
A rough estimate of the amount which
the Government has lost by the trans
actions OF the mountain gentry and the
humble dealers in truck falls little short
of 100000. III SURPRISING this Illicit
traffic the Government will further its
own interests and will give the protection
to which they are entitled to honest dis
ttIlers, who. paying tax of 80 cents on
every gallon OF brandy sold by them, have
found it exceedingly d fficult to compete
with manufacturers who pay o tax at all.