The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-16
TO TEST BEER IN
P0CAHONTAS TANK
Developments Expected to Fol
low Analysis OF Contents
To-Day.
CASE LATELY COMPROMISED
Alleged Irregularities Follow
Fraud Charges Against Dis
tillery, Adjusted May so.

rcction Of Collector Lowry TO-DAY
make chemical test of the beer DIS
covered saturday in the slop tank OF
plant near Petersburg, and upon the
result OF the analysis Will hinge the
governments course OF action to-
ward the iisrillery. The plant was
kept under strict surveillance yes
tcrday. Deputy Agents Williams and
last night and relieved the officers
VINO mad pcei, on guard during the
day.
The plant was placed under guard
Saturday night upon the discovery ny
special revenue officers OF n tank iillcd
with what appeared to he beer ready
FOR distillation. The tank contains
approximately 1900 gallons Of the
liquid. and is situated high m the
side OF the d!stillery building under
meath a water tank. On previous In
spection tours the officer had been
told that the tank contained shop.
An investigation conducted Saturday
night by Officers Pierce and Hans
hrough gave ground for the belief
that tho tank contained beer ready
for distillation. and that the whole
arrangement was an alleged attempt
10 dcfraud the government Of the tan
upon the distilled product
Expect DEVELOPMENTS To-Dny.
The official analysis or the tank 5
contents to-day is expected to bring
important Developments should the
test support the suspicious OF tn.
government officers. the plant will u.
Immediately seized. A seizure will
49,
CATION to iiN the personal rcsponsi-
bility for the evasions Of the law in
Volvcd
The alleged irregularities at the Po-
cahontas DistIling Company follow
close upon the formal adjustment OF
charges which had been pending
against the owners and operators OF
the distill.ry since April S. 1911 Fraud
charges were entered against owners
and they were tried NJ the October.
1871. term Of court. The Jury failed
TO reach an agreement and Juds.
Waddill declared n nistrial
After that date the case was con
tinuously on the criminal docket. and
was 10 have come Ia trial at the las,
April term o! the pistric. Court. In
stead of this, II was decided 10 Try
the case at a special sitting Of the
court on June 5. with Judge Rose, OF
Baltimore. presiding. Before this
plan could b. put into effect, the
case WAS dismissed from the docket
as the result q. compromise effected
between the indicted dstillers and
Commissioner Osborn. under the terms
Of which the Pocahontas men paid "A
nnc OF Sl,oo0. and were relieved 81
further civil or criminal liability
The compromise went into effect or
May 30.
Expect No Icniency.
Revenue officers yesterday made the
statement that II the suspicious OF
the government should prove to De
we'll founded, the pocahontas Distill-
ing Company can expect no lcntency
at the hands OF the Revenue Depart
meut The trinl OF the owners ano
employees OF this plant for the frauds
/ of 1911 is one Of the bittercst chapters
in the revenue records Of the Eastern
District OF Virginia. and came near
causing shake-up OF the Who'll,
! revenue machinery. During the tria
| OF the case Judge Waddill made il
clear that lie was opposed 10 none,
compromise for criminal act, ant
| upon the failure Of the jury TO con
! vct. instructed the District Attorney
/ 10 submit transcript OF the recort
I Of the case 10 the Attorney Genera
! and 10 the Commissioner of Interna
! Revenue.
The trial was followed by an offlcia
investigation conducted under the di
rection Of Revenue Agent Mutt. wht
/ sifted the whole affair from begin
! ming to end. and submitted n report
| OF his Investigations TO the commits
! sioner. The report was never mad
| public
VIII Oppose Compromise.
Commissioner Osborn. in admitting
the Pocahontas case and two otne
distillcry cases TO compromise. mad,
ii clear that he did so only to Civ,
| the distlllers Of the Eastern Distric
| chance TO start viii clean slate
/ Should the newest charges OF the gov
| eminent he substantiatcd. the Peters
burg distillery. il is believed. will re
ccivc little sympathy from the com
| missioner.
You may tell the distillers in you
| district Commissioner Osborn toi,
| revenue Agent Chapman at the tim
| OF the compromise last month. "tha
| am consenting to these compromise
l only because I want To start my ad
ministration with II clean slate an
! opposed to the principle OF permitting
/ compromises where the persons ar
| guilty OF the offenses charged
| warn the diStillers of your district, a
well as those of other districts. tina
| hereafter no cases Will no admitted {
! compromise. Every guilty person o
| plant viii pay the penalty adjudBc
| by the courts without interference
from me. Malcfactors OF this elias
will. in the future, find the com
promise door closed against them