Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-10-13
100000 MADE OUT OF STILL
Maker Of Mountain Dew Reisned Like
Western Bandit on His Place in
meeklenbure county--kept Visitors
Away by the Display Of Armed
men-PIant Confscated.
Especial to the Daily Press. }

Z. Gooch known to the United States
revenue officers as King of the
Moonshtners." today pleaded guilty in
the United States Circuit Court to
indictments charging him with con
spiracy to defraud the government.
He was fined $1,000 by Judge Wad
d.ll and suffered the forfeiture OF
property worth $1,000.
Robert W. Jones and Crowder r.
Jones managers for Gooch at the
crooked whiskey plant. were fined
800 each. Gooch will have to bear
costs amounting to Il considerable
sum.
Two other indictments were
dropped and the moonshiner king
was glad to escape with the payment
OF a few thousands.
Haided by Revenue Officers.
Gooch was indicted Jointly with
Robert w. Jones and Crowder r
Jones. The moonshine plant was
captured by the revenue men on the
Gsoch farm near Jeffress, NIecklen.
burg county. June 26. The Joneses
were tried with the King of the
hoonshiners" on an indictment
charging the three with conspiracy to
deffaud the government
TINS case Is the most important
Illicit distillery case with which the
FEDERAL court has dealt In many years.
II was worked up by Captain Charles
Gee and l.. F. Hansborough, deputy
collectors Of internal revenue.
100000 Made From the Still.
Captain Gee said today that Gooch
had made fortune of 100000 from
the manufacture and sale of Illicit
whlskey
Tie distillery confscated by the
revahne men was the largest ever
operated In Virginia as a nloonshine
plant, 1t had capacity OF 600 gal.
Ions
With the distilling apparatus the
officers seized 200 bags of meal, sew
enty:six whiskey barrels. a wagon. a
team Of mules. four barrels of wills.
key, and materials used in the manu-.
facture of moonshne whiskey. They
found on the premises over 1000
empty bags which had contained
meal. Forty-three head of cattle and
thirty.six hogs were being fattened
TOT the market on the distillery
refuse.
Formerly Licensed Plant.
The Goooh plant was formerly a
licensed dist1llery. 1t has been reg.
istered as mot In use" for years.
Only man Of nerve and daring
would have attempted the business
carried ON by Gooch," said Captain
Gee.
The distillery is surrounded on
every side by hundreds of acres be-
longing to Gooch A heavy guard
was maintained to keep the crooked
whiskey plant under cover. Only
Gooch's men were allowed on his ex.
fensiye lands. The King of the
Moonshiners' owns broad acres, worth
about $150,000. He reigned as a
potentate over his domains.
Acted Like Real "Sad Man."
TO brighten off inquisitive neigh.
bors he made practice of riding
around the outskirts Of his little king.
dom, armed to the teeth and cos.
tuned like Buffalo Bill giving Wild
West exhibition of horsemanship and
gun skill
"The people OF the surrounding
country are in mortal terror OF the
audacious fellow.
ut was difficult job to steal a
march on the moonshiner king but
we accomplished it after about a
year of Watching and waiting"
Captain Gee and Deputy ;Hansbor.
ough were the principal witnesses for
the government
Judge l.. l.. Lewis district attor-
ney, and Robert H. Talley, assistant
district attorney. prosecuted the al.
legged moonshiners. The prisoners
we're defended by Judge Henry Wood
and r. r. Thorpe