The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-15
REVENUE MENCAN
OPERATE PLANTS
Court Gives Them Right to Take
Charge Of Distillery on
Short Notice.
EFFORT TO DETECT FRAUD.
Judge Boyd Holds That They
Are Permitted to Go to
Real Bottom.
EFFORT TO DETECT FRAUD

Revenue officers are elated over a
recent decision by United States Dis
| trict Judge Boyd that these guardians
OF Uncle Sans revenue laws may enter
a dlstillery at any time, day or night,
and take charge OF the plant for the
purpose of ascertain1ng whether the
law is being violated.
Attorneys for distillers, hailed to
court on various infractions of the
revenue laws. are prone to question
the method of procedure employed by
the government agents in securing
evidence. Some time ago Revenue
Agent Chapman and his men took
charge of a distillery in North Caro-
lima before the prohibition law went
into effect and made whiskey for
day to discover If everything was
all right. They found that the gov
eminent was being defrauded
In the trial of the case at Green's
boro several days ago attorneys for
the dstiller made much Of the fact
that the revenue officers had taken
charge Of the distillery and operated 1t
for one day. Judge Boyd in comment
ing on the case said:
1.-THE law provides that any regis.
tered distillery shall be open at all
times for ingress and egress of prop
erly authorized officers of the internal
IcVcuuo SSlSlCc lOi lHSpGCIioA- ~
even goes so far as to authorize an
agent of the internal revenue service
to operate the distillery for a short
time in order to ascertain it's capacity
and see IL It Is being run correctly
and according to law. So Colonel Chap
man violated no law when he took
charge and operated the distillery for
a days run"
To Define Their Rights.
lr nJ S.,yt u pav,SC
that they often desire to secure a bot
| tie of beer (from which whiskey IS
| distilled) to test 1t. While they say
| the distillers do not openly object at
| this procedure, faint murmus of pro-
test are at times heard. The officers
are sure that Judge Boyd's ruling Will
settle a much-mooted question and
that they Will not be hampered as
much in the future as they have in tho
past.
Judge Boyd said yesterday that he
I has about decided to prepare a pamph-
let setting out the duties and rights OF
revenue officers in looking after dis.
| tilleries. He said that he will go into
| the subject in detail should he prepare
| the booklet He explained that there
! are SO many questions that arise III
| the revenue service that one must be
a student OF the law and the proceed
| ure to thoroughly grasp 1t and know
when to act properly In the discharge
| OF his duty.
Judge Boyd has probably tried more
| big whiskey cases than any district
| Judge In the South. He has held cour,
from the mountains to the seashore In
North Carolina. Hundreds OF moon
sinners and distillers operating under
a license have been before him. II
was Judge Boyd who imposed a fine
OF $4,000 and also a Jail sentence on
T. w. Arey, one OF the largest distillers
In North Carolina. Arey was con-
victed OF defrauding the government,
at his distillery in Salisbury, N. c. In
sentencing Arey, Judge Boyd comment
ed on the fact that the little moon.
sinner usually landed in jail, but the
big distiIler who violated the law by
putting up q strenuous fight often
managed to escape by paying a fine.