Midd. ss.

Whereas a Complaint & Informacon exhibited before as James Hawley< no role > & Henry Box< no role > Esqr . two [..]
her Maties. Justices of ye Peace for the Sd. County of Middx the one & twentieth day of December last [..]
by Charles Parry< no role > Esqr . Collector of Excise agst. Stephen Ribelean< no role > of Hamersmith in the Sd. County of Middx
Distiller Importing that for three months then last past & longer & within ye. Juritdiccon of us the Sd.
Justices that is to say at Hamersmith aforesd. the Sd. Stephen Ribelean continued to be & then was a
coman Distiller of Low Wines & Spiritts for Sale & exportacon, And ye during the time aforesaid One
James Leroo< no role > continued to be & then was a Gager & Officer of Excise duely constituted appointed and
qualifyed And ye they ye Sd. Stephen & James soe [..] respectively being He ye Sd. James within three
months then last past that is to say on ye twelfth day of Novembr: then last past within ye Jurrsdiccon
aforesd. that is to say at Hamersmith aforesd. in ye execu [..] of his Sd. Office lawfully & wth. ye consent of ye
Sd. Stephen entred into a distilling house scituate within ye Jurisdiccon aforesd that is to Say at
Hamer Smith aforesd. then & there belonging to & used by ye Sd. Stephen for distilling Such Low
Wines & Spiritts as aforesd. & then & there finding a Still belonging to & used by ye Sd. Stephen which
before that time had been charged & then was charged wth. Liquors Works & drink before ye time
made & prepared for the making Low Wines & Spiritts And then & there finding the Sd. Still
actually at work and the Sd. Liquors Work & drink then & there actually distilling in ye said
Still and Low Wines or Spiritts then actually distilling from thence And then & there
intending in the execution of his sd Office & Pursuant to the Power & authority to him as Such
Officer in & by the Sd. Statute in such case made then [..] and there to See that the Sd
Low Wines or Spiritts then & there distilling as aforesd. were drawn & made without any
mixture He the sd. James did then & there receive into a little glasse Viall (by him
provided for that purpose) about a Spoon full or two of the low Wines or Spiritts then & there
drawing & distilling from the Sd. Still in order to last the Same & See whether the Sd. Low
Wines or Spiritts then & there distilling as aforesd. were then & there drawn without
Such mixture as aforesd. And that altho the sd. Stephen then & there well knew the Said
James to be Such Officer as aforesd. Yet the sd. Stephen on purpose to prevent & hinder
the sd. James from Seeing whether the sd. Low Wines or Spiritto then & there distilling
as aforesd. were drawn without Such mixture as aforesd. and before the Sd. James had
Seen or possibly could See whether the Sd. Low Wines or Spiritts were See drawne
without mixture He the Sd. Stephen then & there assaulted him the Sd. James then
& there being in the execucon of his sd. Office & with force & Violence Struck the sd
Glasse Violl out of the hands of the Sd. James & afterwards that is to Say then & there
broke the same And thereby Spilt what had been taken from the Sd. Still as
aforesd. and So prevented & hindred the sd. James from Seeing or discovering
whether the Sd. Low Wines or Spiritts then & there distilling as aforesd. were
then & there deacone & made without Such mixture as aforesd. And that the
Sd. Charles parry further informed us the sd. Justices And in falt said That
when such Liquors Work or drink were see as aforesd. in Such Still & Such Still
was actually at work & Low Wines or Spiritts were actually drawing from thence
the. frequent practice & common Usage in Such Cases alwaies was for the
Officers So to take into such glass Viall Some part of the Low Wines or Spiritts [..]
[..] at Such time & times So as aforesd. drawing from Such Still in order to
See & find out whether Such Low Wines or Spiritts So distilling at Such time &
times were drawne without Such mixture as aforesaid And that Officers
did & could thereby & not otherwise at Such time find out & discover the
Same And that other Distillers did not hinder the Officers from So doing