The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-19
ALLEN MUST EXPLAIN
Moonshining Case in Jersey
City Heard Before
MI. Rowe.
PRISONERS QUEER STATEMENT
Uncle Sam Adjourns the Case to
Make Inquiries = Trouble
Ahead for Somebody.

y. 3. COMMISSIONS Romano had be-
xore him this morning John Miller, who
vas found in a building at Florence
street and Paramount avenue on the
morning of June II, when internal revenue
officers discovered therein an Illicit still.
The building is owned by Richard ].
Allen and the upper door is a machine
shop. The moonshining business was car
ried or in the basement.
Miller was brought from the County
Jail at ten o'clock this morning, and in
the Commissioners Office Ia the Davidson
Building when the prisoner was ar
raigned, were:-Assistant U. S. District
Attorney T. J.. O'Brien. j. NJ. Garner. U.
S. Internal Gauger; Deputy Collector
Joseph Farmer and a deputy marshal.
Miller is a meek looking man and APP
peared as if he was sick. He had little
TO say for himself beyond the reiterated
statement that he knew nothing about it.
Joseph Farmer told the story of the
raid. He had, he said. a search warrant
and in company with a number of officers
visited the place on June II. They
knocked at the door and it was opened
by the prisoner. In the basement they
found a complete distilling apparatus.
10 III
. sketch of the plant, an equipment for
the distillation of spirits from molasses-
Miller. he said. volunteered the informa-
ton that he was working for Allen and
had fallen asleep in the factory.
"Who is Allen?" asked Commissioner
Rowe.
is. I understand, the owner of the
machine shop in the building
.Vb1f did ya1l find 2' aSIyad Mr. 0sRriep
w found said Farmer, looking at
the sketch. "a mash tub about two-thirds
filed and in process of fermentation 1t
was a complete distilling apparatus and
it was set up,
Had h plant a license from the Gov
ernment?H asked Mr.. O'Brien.
No, it had not Farmer replied.
my questions to put and slowly rising to
his feet he c~oughed, smiled, looked sorry
and then OUT
Didn't. l open the door to you when
0 knocked?'
You did" said Farmer.
Didn't I tell you | worked for Mr..
Ailen?" he asked again.
You did, was the reply.
i guess that's all. excepting that /
know nothing about the STILL" said Mil
Ter.
THAT'S your defense said Commis-
sioner Rowe, you can c-rcss-eNamine the
witness on the evidence he has given"
miller sat down with a detected look,
and nervously played with a shabby look
ing hat while the Assistant District At
torney was asking for an adjournment of
the hearing.
4 think, your honor" said Mr.. O'Brien. |
that we ought to have this man Allen
here. If this man Miller is a stool
pigeon we want to know it. If he is the
cudgel for somebody else, the United
States Government wants to know, and
I think it is highly important that this
man Allen should come here and explain
how It was that a distilling apparatus was |
III full swing in his cellar.
Commissioner Rowe, "and / think. TOO.
we should v lin here not only for the
interest OF the United States Government
but IN Justice to the prisoner here, and l
Will adjourn the case until Saturday
morning next, and in the meantime you
nave this man Allen notified.
Allen, the owner OF the building, lives
on Jewett avenue, and has figured some |
what extensively in local politics. He |
once ran for Mayor and had some con-
when, by a political change, he was
hred out. He was once an ardent labor |
man and a Democrat, and when May
or Wanser was elected he initiated the
famous policy of the Vicar of Bray. The |
Government is bent on finding out Aliens
connection with the still, and as
1t stands now there is sufficient evidence |
to hold Allen, SO Uncle Sans lawyers |
mint, for an examination. By the stat /
ute, the owner of any building, in which |
an ofense against the Government is |
CON mitted, is held responsible and in law
is regarded as a particeps creminis.