St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-04-10
JAMAICA GINGER.
DIR. GOyefte Arrested ard Acquitted for
Selling Sanford's Extract.

Another case of jamaica ginger in
toXication was discovered Saturday
and the details will interest all.
Last Saturday John Walker OF
Maple street was arrested for drunk
enness. This being his third offence
he was fined $50 and costs and given
60 days in the workhouse. MIR.
Walker disclosed that on Thursday
he purchased bottle ofjamaica gin
ger, the cause of his intoxication, at
Goyette's drug store on Railroad
street. A search warrant was ac-
cordingly issued and Officer Noyes
inspected the premises and found
small quantities of gin, alcohol, sher-
ry wine, porter, claret wine and %
bottles of Sanford's jamaica ginger
On Monday States Attorney Dun
nett brought DR.. Goyette before Jus
tice Nichols, charged with selling in
toxicating liquor and having intoXi-
eating liquor on hand with intent to
sell. Lawyer Bates appeared for the
plaintiff and a hearing was given
him before jury of six men.
Mr.. Walker being introduced, testi-
fed that he got drunk on jamaica
ginger purchased by him at Goyette's
store of the smaller clerk. He said
that he took it home and reduced it
| /, l. y
George H. Taylor testified to see
ing Mr. Walker drunk
Mr.. Moves said that he searched
DR.. Goyette's store and found the
above named liquors and that moth
ing had the appearance of being Sc
creted. Dr. Goyette went around
with him and pointed out the differ
ent things.
DR.. Goyette said that all these IL
quors except the claret wine and the
porter were used only in prescrip-
t1ons and were not kept to be sold
and never had been sold except when
compounded with drugs, and that
the claret and porter he had for his
own private use on his table. He
said that the ginger contained no
more alcohol than liniments, cam
| phor or any of the extracts or es-
sences and that man could become
intoxicated by drinking any of these.
Mrs. Walker said that her husband
was made drunk by drinking alcohol
which he reduced with water. She
was positive that it was not ginger.
The smaller clerk said that he had
not sold a bottle of ginger to any one
for several weeks and that he was
not acquainted with Mr.. Walker
| The other clerk said that he sold one
bottle of ginger out of lot of "a to
a stranger and that Mr.. Walker was
not in the store that day to his recol-
lection.
c. c, Bingham and c. F. Boynton
testified that they kept and sold the
same brand of ginger found at DIR.
Goyette's and that the liquors found
there were kept by them and by all
druggists. In fact they were indis-
pensable to legitimate drug busi-
ness.
In the closing pleas by the lawyers,
numerous passages of law were cited
and the decisions of the supreme
courts of Vermont, Kansas, and
other prohibition states were read.
The substance of these passages was
that as soon as the ginger or cam
phor or aloes were added to the alco-
hol, it was a medicine, prepared in
good faith by the druggist, and as
truly an article of merchandise as a
barrel of flour.
All seemed in sympathy with DIR.
Goyette and were not surprised when
the jury brought in a verdict of not
guilty.
There is much interest manifested
in these prosecutions and much curl
osity to know where it will end.
The states attorney declares he will
prosecute every case that comes un-
der his notice. 1t is not unlikely that
the supreme court will be called to
decide just what jamaica ginger is.
Pa RISH MEETING.
At the annual parish meeting of ST.
Andrews church on Monday even
ing these officers were elected:
Wardens, Elijah D. Blodgett, Will
liam S. Boynton.
Vestrymen, Frederick Fletcher, Eli
sha May, D. D. Patterson, w. H. H.
Robie, George F. Cushman, Edward
| +. Griswold, Lyman P. Hartman,
w. P. Stafford, P. F. Blodgett.
Clerk, Pearl F. Blodgett.
Treasurer, James Richie.
Finance committee, the rector and
treasurer, ex officio; d. D. Patterson,
Lyman p. Hartman.
Committee on music, Edward F.
Griswold, Pearl F. Blodgett, Mrs. D.
d. Patterson.
Delegates to Diocesan convention,
Elijah d. Blodgett, d. D. Patterson,
p. F. Blodgett; alternates, w S.
Boynton, W.P. Stafford, w. H. H.
Robie