Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-03-11
CHARGE DIsPROVED.
Correspondence Alexandria Gazette. ]

AUhAA va, MdTcu S.-Ou lue Z-u
day OF June las B b Bouldin, of the
internal revenue service closed the dis
tillery of X l.. Pritchard & Co., and pre-
ferred two charges against the firm
one for running an illegal rectifying es,
tablisl lmeut and the other for making
Illicit hisky, about 5000 gallons.
81 the time when B. B. Bouldin visit
ID this distillery, which was few days
prior To his recommendation for its
.eizure, be saw a glass fruit jar in tie
retail room of the distillery containing
few dried peaches over which whisky
had been poured. This was the foun-
dation of the charge for rectifying
which went to the department. aud the
parties were given to understand that it
must be met, and it was only dropped
when its ridiculous nature laughed it
down and out. Shortly after this
Pritchard 4 Co., armed with dozsn
or more letters, given by some of the
best en- in Page, went 10 see the COM
missioner in Washington. The letters
spoke in the strongest terms of the
character of the members OF the
firm; that they were honest, hon
orable men, and that great mistake
had been made somewhere; that some
of the writers knew OF the few ounces
of dried peaches, and if the use made
Of them constituted rectifying, then
truth was stranger than fiction.
The visit amounted to nothing, al
tnous n The deepest scrutiny was invited
80 that the matter could be at once set
tied and these gentlemen were arrested,
taken 10 the U. S. court at Harrison
burg, there to meet an indictment for
making 5000 gallons of illicit whisky.
rhe trial was miserable failure, and
the result met not only public senti
ment, as nodded by the hearing of the
evidence, as we'll as clearly showing
that there was but one, and one alone,
who did not sympathize with these
men, dragged as they had been by the
government from their homes and busi-
ness, there to defend themselves or go
20 the penitentiary as telons and con
vcted thieves upon such frivolous
and puerile charge. There was not a
bit of guilty evidence against them, and
the district attorney declined even to
argue the case. The general sentiment
on all sides was that the whole effair
was an outrage, pure and simple. This
was three months ago, and up to last
Saturday not move had been made to
restore their property, although ac-
quilted, and even then proceedings by
iriucton had 10 be- instituted by Pritch-
ard & Co. against the government to
correct the serious and grinding wrong
done them, and to obtain property un-
Justly and illegally taken from them.
rhe prospect now is that Pritcbard Il
Co. will again resume operations at he
old stand.
But this may not be the end of this
matter by good deal. This firm has
lost thousands of dollars in actual
money, their good name end credit
shadowed by serious criminal charge,
and trial gone through involving to
them most serious consequences and
now that they have most manfully
and successfully proven their entire in
nocepce, it is but right that the instru-
ment of their attempted destruction
should be made to answer for his acts
and tell why and wherefore he was
prompted to do as he did, and why,
after such overwhelming defeat, such
delay to repair and undo.