Butts County GaArchives News.....Mays - Harris - Revenues Raid November 1889
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Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 December 24, 2003, 6:03 pm

Middle Ga Argus
Mays – Harris - REVENUES RAID

One day last week the revenue officials made a raid on my S. H. Mays premises 
and captured twenty-six barrels of peach brandy that had been left out of his 
report to the government.  They also found several more at the J. Tom Stewart’s 
and Mr. Tom Harris’, near Jenkinsburg.  It seems that it has been the custom of 
a number of men who have certain fruit distilleries ever since the war to hide 
out a portion of their production and not pay the tax on it that the government 
required.  They claim that they could not pay the ninety cents per gallon on 
all they made and then sell it at the prices it would bring and pay the 
expenses of the manufacture.  It was thus following a long standing custom that 
lead these men to violate what they thought to be an unjust law.  It was the 
duty of the government officials to visit the distilleries at least once a week 
and keep a close watch to all the proceedings, and no doubt, that they had done 
their duty in this particular.  No trouble would have surfaced.  While these 
men knew they were violating a law they thought not much to make a little money 
out of the government if they could but now they are in trouble and we must 
wait developments to see what will be the penalty.

Middle Ga Argus – Week of October 8, 1889



      

Messrs Sam Mays and J. Tom Stewart Before the U. S. Court

On Friday the cases against Messrs. S. H. Mays and J. Tom Stewart were called 
in the U. S. court in Macon, before Judge Speer.  They were charged with 
illicit distiliging and concealing brandy.  To these charges they pleaded 
guilty and Mr. Mays was sentenced to pay a fine of two hundred dollars and cost 
and serve one year and one day in the Columbus, Ohio prison.  Mr. Stewart, as 
the Judge announced, on account of his age and being a wounded soldier 
sentenced him to pay a fine of two hundred dollars and cost and be confined in 
Bib county jail for two months.  These are indeed heavy fines, which, together 
with the loss of brandy by confiscation will be about financially ruin both 
these gentlemen.  We only express the universal sentiment when we say they have 
received the sympathies of our entire people in this shier hour of trouble.  

Since the above was put in type we learn that an effort will be made to reduce 
Judge Speer to change the place of confinement from Ohio to a more southern 
climate on account of Mr. Mays’ health. The case will be argued before Judge 
Speer tomorrow.

Middle Ga Argus – Week of November 5, 1889


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