The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-21
.D|ST|LLERS HELD
FOR GRAND JURY
Barton and Harper, Arrested for
Alleged Fraud at Beaver
Dam, Are Sent On.
DENY GOVERNMENT CHARGE
Officers Tell Of Unstamped
Whiskey Leaving Plant, With
Agent Away From Post.

]. IT. Barton. government store
keeper gauger and T. w. Harper, pro-
prietor of the Beaver Dam Distillery.
in Mecklenburg County, wore held for
the October term OF the Federal grand
jury on the charge OF defraudinE the
government of its internal revenue tax
on spirits at preliminary hearing
yesterday afternoon before United
States Commissioner Flegenheimer.
Both were held subject to bond Of
$1,000 Barton failed to find a bonds
man. and Harper renewed his bail last
night.
Following the discovery by Special
GauEer Pierce and Special Employe
Hansbrouck on June of three barrels
OF whiskey. minus the government
stamp, being carried away from the
olStiliery In a wagon, the plant was
seized by Revenue Agent Chapman.
Harper and Barton arrested and civil
proceedings for the contiscation OF the
distillery begun by the United States
district attorney. The special revenue
officers claim to have found tho dis
tillery in full blast on the night OF
June and the government store
keeper gauger absent from the build
ing.
With L. .. WendcnburE and former
Assistant United States District At
torney Robert H. Talley conducting
the examination for the distllcrs and
Assistant United States District At
torncy Hiram NJ. Smith in charge Of
the prosecution, every possible effort
was made by the defendants to break
down the testimony of the revenue OIL
GERS and to discredit their story. The
nearing occupied more than two hours.
Two Men Escaped.
The accounts Of the discovery OF the
alleged frauds. as told BY Pierce and
Hansbrouck differed in no essential
particulars The officers said that fol-
lowing the disclosure of certain sus-
picious circumstances. they hid them
selves in the underbrush on the road
leading from the Beaver Dam Distillcry-
on the morning of June 4 to watch for
more tangible evidence of fraud Moth
ing occurred until about S o'clock that
night. when a heavy wagon. loaded
with three barrels and carrying a ne
gro man and white man. whom the
officers claim was +. w Harpcr's
father. drove toward the hidden officers
from the direction OF the distillery
When the revenue men rushed out Of
the woods the negro and the white
man jumped from the wagon and dis
appeared into the dark woods before
the officers could ca pture either. The
three barrels and the wagon were
taken in By the officers and driven back
TO the plant. ON arriving there. said
the officers. they found the distilery
running and the storekecper- gaugcr
nowhere in sight Upon Investigation.
III was discovered that Barton had gone
10 his home earlier in the day, leaving
the government locks OFF the various
parts of the distillnE machinery.
The suspected barrels were taken
into ciarksviiie and examined BY a
deputy revenue collector and found 10
contain whiskey. Although no gov
eminent tax stamp was found on the
barrels. brown paper squares ordi-
narily used 10 protect such STAMPS
were found nailed on the head OF each
barrel. with the intention. the officers
say. OF making il appear 10 the casual
observer that the revenue STAMP was
underneath. The tracks of the wagon
We're followed by the officers after
Jumping out OF the undcrbrush on the
SIDE OF the road. and are alleged to
have led to the distillery door.
Make broad Denial.
1T was apparent from the trend of
the examination yesterday that the
defense is going to make strong eff
tort TO prove that the seized barrels
were not coming from the distillery,
but from some moonshine still in the
neighhorhood The revenue officers
testined that there is no other licensed
distillery nearer than fifteen miles TO
the Beaver Dam plant, but the defense
endeavored TO make il appear that
there are blockade stills III the vicin-
ity.
Barton. who is being prosecuted un-
der the statute making il criminal for
a government storekeep -gauger to
make opportunity for the preparation
OF fraud. declares that he was not
aware he was committing a INSIDE
heanor by leaving the distillery with
out locking its machinery He was
sick. he said, and went home