New-York tribune., 1885-03-19
JANTTOR PLUMB'S HABITS.
WAS NE TEMPERATE OR INTEMpERATE'
l.. QUESTION THAT BROUGHT MANY MERiDEN fho-
PIE TO NEw-YoRK SETTLED.

. QUESTION THAT BROUGHT MANY MEklDhN fho-
PIE TO NEw-YoRK SETTLED.
The life. insurance and death OF John H.
plpml OF Marideu, Conn, have resnlteo iu o'nse "
ZOO, mart OF that this city In legal
a., p,unb was a jantor The people OF Menoeh say
49, to,r wives in sutcession, duly distributed by
d,oree nroeeedngs They also declare that Sster Vi
NJ, plumb was the first wife OF Gordon W. burnn''
In 1888 Mr. Plumb was sixty-four years oiu' MS $3.50
father had lived to be hundred ana eign1 anu o
father to be one hundred. So ON January o. 800 ~
beeame a member Of the Home Beneht oooe@' IN 'o
hope of SO 900 and long life. lie assisnVu nus 80
George l. Clarke a real estate dealer saying Ia '.o
~ /. Nc "a nv friend and benefactor ano VIII take
ra ~ me II need It," Mr.. Clarke IN tne nope Vi an
ultima, reaual, paid good part OF Mr. fho living
sxnenses and Sc In premiums. In April last MI riuo
shot himself and died The company refusing 10 pay ne
policy on the ground that Plumo had oeeh VI %
and rheumatic Mr.. Clarke sued for the AMOUNT me
snit was ON trial yesterday before Judge III .o
Superior Court There were present as Poce
Ford Lauor-seler Williams, Drs. ManSheldi ana ives,
other policemen tr eS SS General enc S Stewart l.
ford who said in effect in summary oil the case or i
.GESrIruEx OF THE JURY From the evidence before iS
ron il would clear that the charges MADE S ni
sorpSraSr dSsRss s Ts mot drunksrd or given
temperate of liquor AS evidence Oh is a So hnse
S%sbess sae Il MAS to know his habits intoxicating
beverages Tue Cliof-of- Police OF tne CITY oi "euen
,l,o
II Is art OF your business Is 1t not 10 kho" "no
ere the drlnkards in your dstrictf
q, Dn Won ever see Mr.. Plumb drunkP
nd be ever appear to you to be at all under the in
iuenee Of intoxicating hquorsf
snch was the testimony OF the Chief who
onght to have known what he was talking aDout Inis
"a eorroborated by others. Ii may be thav Mr rum
took eight or nine Jamsca runs day. as WAS sworn TO.
That did not make him drunkard Mrs fumo ltutuE ~ l.
ing to herl the lady with the bright Diaeh eyes ~ 40
re tells different story Yet the strongest evlieHCc
that MIR Plumb was not unduly given 70 ntpAtVanS
beverages in this His physician has testnec ta "uep
MT Plumb lay on his dying bed, whskey hao oeon po d
beside him. After his death. what was the stato VI
afarsl Was that bottle emptyf Even IN ms n9SL VI
weakness when natural craving Tor strong oIlnk
listing would have shown itself, did the SICK man. Wne
left alone. take advantage OF an aegeu S . a
empty the bottlei No. That oottie WAS Aouiu WV
thirds full when he diedV =, - -.-..,... a. ,h :.
ndqe Ipgraham submitted these three questions 10 tne
fury: a. on January q, 1888 was MI lunn III SUvn
healthf (2l Was man OF temperate OF lntcuper.o
habitat (3l Was he rheumatct The quesuOh oI hiI
Plumbs health and temperance explained thb lulGe,
was 20 be determined by ordinary rules as sppneo ~
men of orSnary intelligence do not understand"
said he that because Mr.. Plumb occasionally ook
drink or took tobacco this would prevent MS peinS
temperate man. The word temperate is 70 ne Ehe1
oriinary understood. The landlord OF the hOtel anu
Mrs Plumb that he drank great deal ne poIe
said that they ha0 never seen III" uAN'A INV -
ence of liquor" ,.,.. 49, ,ora
Te iury then retired to determine whether the lanu
lord and Mrs Plumb the policemen OF Melluei Were
eYperts In the subject of temperance After an aosencV
of an hour and half they found Tor MT CiarAo ou III
General Woodford was assisted by Haley Fiske. ROYAL
& Crane and L. A. Fuller appeared Tor the cofporauoh