Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-10-20

il standing boldly on one Of Fort Smiths
streets-a d~elapidated old building, as
innocent looking as some deserted Ar
kansas farm houses. But inside, machi-
merry modern To the minute. the govern
ment alleges, manufactured Six Year
Old Kentucky Bourbon "Fien Old
Private Stock" and Seven Year Old
Rye" from pure alcohol i'm fifty hours.
thesparkle and blend being given by
means of chemicals. With the aid of at
~tractive labels. the government alleges
the conspirators sold their products
through agents in Kansas City to the
southwestern retail trade.
The Fort Cmith plant once WAS a L.
Gal distillcry. I'm March. 1911. however.
its owners advised the revenue depart
ment at Washington of their intention
tn cease business. The government i'm
mediately Withdrew its official guager
and sealed the doors of the plant.
The seals. it is alleged were soon bro
ken. the old machinery removed and
new machinery set up
One day the government officials got
an anonymous letter that started an in
vcStigation. David 4. Gates. Deputy
Internal Revenue Commissioners. took
charge of the inquiry. Ills men quickly
covered Missouri. Arkansas. Georgia.
North Carolina and Tennessee and
pickle, up Jews here and there. which
finally resulted in the seizure of TIE dis
%tillcry. Among the discoveries they made
was tina the plant was connected with
a large sewer. with outlets so arranged
that the contents of its eight ten thou
sand gallons tubs could be- discharged
into the Arkansas river within a few
minutes.
Six indictments i'm all. were handed
down. the first charging Casper. Guy l..
Hartman. j. &. Bewbaker. Williams.
Brown and others with intent to defraud
he United states Of the tax imposed on
''~tili"' -"'"i'S aud with havin. in
th"Ir possession cancelled revenue
stamps
Casper v" III" ""nl inlirtment II
CHARGED VII. u ~ Erth y hrihn nf
~ .MD IN connection with the removal Of
- m gallons nf wh'@Lr, from the dis
tillery without payment of tho internal
revenue tax. This ofIrnSr j. alleged ~
have occurred when the niarr was still
a legal diStillerv. The third Indictment
charges Booth with accept . the hril,r
WV ut~ WV VI Ts''' iTUtU 'fHN H. HUT
man.
The fourth j. u blanket bill charging
conspiracy against the six revenue Off
GERS. the two ~HartmanS. Charles Brew
baker and others. 1t describes purchases
Of Of supplies alleged 10 nave been uscI
in distilling. mentioning the names hf
many Fort Smith firms az having sold
The prrhucts- The City Of Fpsi Smith
Sold 1000. 600 gallons Of watc~ IL Guy T..
Hartman. il - charged. for uS in the
plant. IN this Indictment. al~c. is Sp"-i
fled the alleged shipments of whiSkcy to
the Rush Distilling Co. and alleged
fraudulent marking of liquor To Indicate
that IL had been inspected by Brown.
The fifth charges Casper and Guy l..
Hartman with the Illegal ratification
of distilled spirits.
The sixth covers operations bv the VI.
Il. Brock Distillcrv in Fort Smith-a
separate concern from the B~rcwbakcr
dhStillery. 1t alleges violations Of a date
much earlier than those charged against
the Brewbaker plant. but NAMES. to
sether with Moses Il. Brock. several Of
The SAM alleged conspirators.