The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-19
Reve nue. Officers Seize
Property Of Fair Oaks
Company, Near City.
VIOLATION OF E
LAW ALLEGED
Action Taken Under Instructions
from Commissioner at Wash
ingto1O fficers Of Concern
Say They Can Prove
There Was No
Irregularity.

Acting under instruction from the
Commissioner OF Internal Revenue at
Washington. officers OF tho local de-
partment yesterday afternoon seized
the Fair Oaks Distillery, in Henrico
county. with all its property and stock
on hand. The raid was made by Col.
William H. Chapman. local agent Of
the United States Revenue Department.
assisted by Chief Deputy Thomas L.
Meany and Division Deputy. Edward
r. southward. No statement was Is
sued BY the government officials as
to the charges against the distilling
company, other than rnat the seizure
was made at the instance OF higher
officials and for alleged violations Of
the internal revenue laws.
Largest in District.
Tie Fair Oaks Distillery, the largest
enterprise of it's kind in this section
of the country, Is located about one
mile from Richmond, near No. 4 stop
on the Seven Pines car line It has a
registered capacity of 224 gallons q
day. and yesterday had on hand con-
siderable stock OF corn, malt and rye
as we'll as some manufactured whiskey.
the whole property valued at some thing
like $15,000.5
The seizure will have the effect sof
suspending all operations OF the dis
Ftillery and putting a government Of
fcial in: charge OF the place. In the
event of convection on the charges.
which will be heard before Judge Wad-
dill, In the United States District Court.
It lies in the province OF the court. In,
addition to such fines and imprison-
~ r1v,~Y, frvs c11Vta
cases. to declare the whole property
and Its stock forfeited to the govern
ment.
The papers in the case mention j..
William Casper as the ,disttller. and
the action of the government lies In,
his nnme., Casper claims that he Is
employed by Fred Cox. the manager
of the plant. which is owned by a
stock company, of which Mr.. James
Manager Talks. .ls SIS.
When seen last night Mr.. Cox said
that he had no doubt the charges
would be satisfactorily explained when
the case came up in court. lie had not
yet seem the formal charges 9of the
government Mcials. but he Understood
that they related. to- an inaccurate
measurements of the corn supplied, or
in. effect that the distillery was buying
more corn than the taxed output of
whiskey accounted for. and that by
inference the government officers as
much as charged that the remainder Of
the grain was being used for illicit
distilllng.
Continuing, Mr. Cox expressed the
fullest confidence IN the ability Of the
companysto show that this was not the
case He stated that the company had
sold a carload Of corn when orders did
not justify its use, and further that
at the time complained OF the company
had ten or fifteen horses which were
fed daily from the corn on hand. and
that proper allowance had not been
made by the inspectors for this con-
sumption.
What Donatl Says.
Mr.. Donati said last night that the
Fair Oaks Distilling Company had
never been Incorporated. but that the
distillery was run by Mr.. Casper, In
whose name the contracts were made.
Further. he declared that during the
last year he and Mr.. Cox. both OF
whom were Interested In the distil-
lery. had been speculating- IN grain.
having purchased Afty carloads at one
time, some Of which they sold to the
dtstillery and some to other parties.
He said that the seizure would be
protested to the United States District
Court at once. and that he had no
doubt Of his ability to show that there
had ben no irregularlty.
Important Seizure. ,l \. .sl
The distillery stands on the property.
of Mrs. Mary 2. Voegler, who is q
large owner In the company. It ad-
joins the farmSof dairyman who sup
plies milk to the Richmond market, and
o5f 5ffsr,y 30 or wit the