The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-03-07
THE ONION CASE.
The Trial in which ]. D. Nc Mecammon. the City
and VIM. Award were the Principals.

WOuIu u "Ub- 1NNN|X$
ing 20 or n
young lady of El14j
eligible age
not adverse
to being WOO IT,
ed by the a. -NETm51N SSSM
fOresaidyou'g REZxZ, pMtS[\\NNA
man, a nd If W\\\\\Ap
each or both kN\\\AW
of them have SV
desired to
break of the
onion eating 0
habit, he or she as the case may be,
should have been in the vicinity of the
city hall on Friday last between the
hours of 10 a. m. and 5 p. m, never again
could they have. the termerity to look the
uncooked onion in the face and give
way to there former desire to eat it.
The odor of the onion mot aroma as
the lawyer on the defense in his calm,
conversational tone of voice insisted in
designating it) filed the air; and we Lave
it from the city attorney, that no onions
at all were used in the vegetable soup at
his hotel one block away on that day,
yet the boarders all protested against
being fed on onion soup. SO strongly did
the odor permeate the air.
The good sized, red, fa.ish onion, the
yellow variety, the large white, the silver
skinned and the little onion in sets
balanced all, swung partners, saluted and
danced to the heavy (chin) music of the
three attorneys-Henry for the defense
and D. G. Campbell and Judge Luce for
the plaintiffs, the city and Mr.. Award.
So surcharged became the air that the
presiding judge, who was compelled to
lcok the onions directly in the eye, was
obliged to apply his handkerchief to his
optics with great frequency. His heavy
gold watch chain, which adorned his
neck, was the only object on his person
that did not shoS signs of being affected.
The city attorney was another victim.
He rendered his shining tile utterly
worthless by tearing out the lining under
which he swore someone had placed a
huge slice of onion as practical joke /;
while his learned (this word IS borrowed
for the occasion from a lawyer friend)
associate carried in his hand bottle of
liquid Pepsin with which to ward off the
subtle influences of the bulbous plant,
which had It's working clothes on and
was energetically doing full days
work.
One of the jury.men too, succumbsd
TO ITS suPoRIFIc
(ifthe doctor will pardon our plagiarism)
persuasiveness and in consequence was
half hour late in reaching the court
room at noon. He has this consolation
however, there will be no use wrapping
moth destroying powders III his mink
overcoat neat summer, for the smell of
the onion will make this precaution en-
tirely unnecessary.
There were many onion-eved men pre-
sent but it is necessary that we should
report the serious aspects of the case,
which in many respects was an import.
ant one and will go into history as the
case which was first instituted in Boze-
man establishing the fact that it is a
nuisance for man to maintain on his
premises that which is offensive to his
neighbor.
1t is also necessary that we give the
details of this case in which the lawyers
"onion".ited in their efforts to give their
client the best they had in the box !;
wherein they hurled chunks Of legal lore
and biting sarcasm at each other that
fairly made the week.jointed desk of
Alderman Hite tremble with excitement.
Fortunately it was weighted down with
the unpublished speech on "What 1
Know About City Printing" This keep
it on the floor.
This action was brought by the city
against J. D. McCammon on complaint
of VIM. Award, the druggist. under
ordinance of the city, which in section
four says that it shall be nuisance for
any person ito throw, place or conduct"
any offensive matter whatever, or any
thing likely to become 80" Sin such a
manner as to be offensive TO the neigh
borhood. or offensive or injurious to any
person."
Considerable time was taken up at the
beginning Of the case arguing motions
which usually proceed legal battle Of
any importance. The defence was over.
ruled in its endeayor to show that the
complaint was in sufficient and the case
passed along to the next stage which
was the selection Of six good men and
true" This was attended with some de.
lay during which time j. NJ. Lindley, W
]. Alexander. and Geo. Howard were ex'
cused and VIM. Kermode, ]. F. Brown
Geo. Lowe, Mike Hartcorn and Chas
Roudan were retained to decide the
merits of the case.
The frs. witness called was Mr.. AL
ward, who stated that about
TEN BUSHELS OF ONION SETS
had been placed in room rented by Mr.
McCammon adjoining the living apart
ments of the witness. These onion
were partly frozen and during the nigh
when the room IN which they were pill
ed was closed they emitted strencl
which was oyerpowering. If he hadn'
opened his windows the smell woult
have been sitting. Either he or th'
onion sets would have to move out. II,
had asked the defendant to remove tn,