The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-08-19
NEW YORK MODNSH|NE. :
Vinegar Works" and MAN
haitian Yeast Co." Made
Illicit Whiskey
AND DID A BIG TRAFFIC
Two Successful Raids Made by the
United States Revenue Oficersin
Brooklyn Borough.

Brooklyn Malt Vinegar Factory Seized just
Like an Illicit Still in the Southern Noun
tain Districts-Three Prisoners, One q
Stockholder, Nabbed, and Lot of Whis-
key Confiscated-omcers Followed De-
livery Truck.
What was perhaps the largest and
best equipped illicit distillery in Amer
fca was seized early on a recent morn
ing by Colonel Williams, Chief Inter.
nal Revenue Agent for New York city.
A raid was made also on the distribute
ing Office of the revenue dodgers. The
distillery was in Brooklyn, the Office in
Manhattan
Moonshlne whisky brings up visions
of the mountains of Kentucky and
West Virginia; of fierce mountaineers
with guns ever ready to put away
a revenue agent; of little copper still
buried in a hut, inaccessible to all but
those who know the paths; and of a
few gallons of mountain dew delivered
in the night to trusted customers.
But in New York they do things diff
ferently. The $4,000 plant of the
Brooklyn Malt Vinegar Company"
stands at No. 227 Wallabout street,
Brooklyn. Heavy trucks carrying 20 to
25 barrels each hauled the vinegar" to
the Manhattan Yeast Company" at
No. S1S Henry street. From there the
vinegar" was delivered to saloons on
the East side The vinegar" works
in Brooklyn had been running night
and day.
Colonel Williams heard of the i'm
mense business the Brooklyn works
was doing, and he investigated. He
was convinced that the East Siders
were not drinking that much vinegar
and he did not believe they were drink
ing yeast.
So he set a watch on the Manhattan
Yeast Company's warehouse. For two
nights the watch was fruitless, the men
appearing to have received word they
were watched. Early one morning their
vigilance was relaxed, and a wagon
containing three barrels was driven
out of the warehouse. Two men on
the wagon drove through Delaney,
Essex and Suffolk streets, followed by
the revenue officers. The men saw
they were being followed and did not
stop anywhere.
Finally one of the men jumped from
the wagon and ran. He was captured
after a chase of FIVE blocks The other
man remained on the wagon and was
arrested. The three barrels contained
whisky
Colonel Williams then went to the
warehouse of the Yeast Company,
where third man was found and ar
rested. Twenty -four barrels of whisky
were found among barrels of vinegar.
Charles Ritskey of No. 256 Marcy
avenue, Brooklyn, who attempted to
escape, and who is said to be one of
the owners of the Yeast Company, was
held by United States Commissioner
Shields in $4,000 for trial, and two
workmen in $500 each.
Erastus Hayes OF No. BIG Henry
street, treasurer of the Brooklyn Malt
Vinegar Company, went to the Federal
building in the afternoon and surren-
dered himself to Commissioner Shields.
He denied all knowledge of whisky be-
ing made at the company's works, and
said If any such thing had been done it
was without the knowledge or consent
of the directors and officers. He was
paroled in the custody of his attorney.
This was after Colonel Williams had
crossed the Bridge and seized the vine
gar works. This factory has a capacity
of fifty gallons of whiskey day and
has been running night and day. It is
one of the biggest plants of the kind in
the country. After the factory was
seized an inventory was made. the
place was closed. and men put in
charge.
Wasfe of Ammunition