Evening star., 1896-12-16
TOOK OFF THE BRANDS
Removing 0leomargarine Marks From the
Tubs.
Evidence To-day In the Trial Of the
wilkins Firm for Passing
COunterfeit Butter.

The trial of Walter p. and Joseph Will
kins. charged with violating the oleomar-
garfne laws by selling to Supt. Shallen-
berger of the District reform school, a GD-
pound tub of oleomargarine October IL,
1898. without having marked the package
as oleomargarine. was resumed this morn
ing before Judge Cole in Criminal Court
No. /.
During the trial yesterday several wit
nesses were examined by District Attorney
BIrney. whose testimony tended to es. ahlish
the charge; Assistant Superintendent Isaac
ID. Porter of the reform school. Mr.. James
F. Oyster. District Chemist John d. IIlrd.
Dr. Chas. A. Champion of the Treasury
Department, Detective Carter and James
H: Davis. colored, cook at the reform
school at the time. being examined.
just before the court adjourned yesterday
Mr. Birney called Arthur G. Van Horn, a
young man employed by the local internal
revenue office. for the purpose of showing
that the defendants were i'm the habit of
selling unmarked oleomargarine to retail
dealers. both before and after the date of
the alleged offense. The defense objected
on the ground that the testimony would be
TOO remote. but Judge Cole overruled the
objection, and this morning Mr. Van Horn
TOOK the witness stand.
Mr.. Van Horns Testimony.
He testified that in January last he sent
Florence Davis, a young colored woman.
INTO the grocery store of Wm H. Meitzler
10th and B streets northeast and the store
of Andrew J. Kenny, to purchase half q.
pound of butter.
one made the purchases. and he sent the
stuff to Dr. Champion. who discovered that
1t was oleomargarine. Florence Davis cor
roborated the evidence of Mr. Van Horn
and then Mr.. Meitzler took the stand. say
ing that he had made the sale to the Young
woman. woman. he purchased it from the defend
anus; supposing 1t to be butter. To Mr..
Davis Mr. Meitzler stated that he is under
lhunctnent for selling the stuff without
license and as for butter. He expected
n ena., IN view OF his testifying for the gov
eTnmeht, ne will not be prosecuted al
though he has received no promise to thai
effect. " '"h'
harrison Nesbitt and w. w. Penneu of
the l7cal internal revenue office rext tes
titled that they visited the store of Mr.
henny last February. wnen upon asking
Tor butter, they were shown what thav
discovered to be oleomargarine. DR. Cramo-
ton testified to analyzins specimens Of the
purchases made at the stores of Mei.zler
and Kenny. stating that he had found
them to be oleomargarine
bought Butter.
The next witness called by Mr.. Birnev
was Richard E. Miles, engaged In the pro-
Gerry business at Sd and A streets north
east He testified that early in 1894 he
took out four-months license to sell hut
ter,ne, but quit selling IL on the expiration
OF the license. September 1895, said the
witness. he purchased from the defendants
three siXty-pound tubs of Elgin butter as
ne supposed, the tubs bearing no butterine
marks whatever. While selling from one
OF the tubs so many complaints were made
bE his customers respecting the alleged
putter that he stopped selling it, ana sent
n hai1 I pound of it TO Druggist Augustus
c. Taylor for analysis. He complained to
the defendants, telling them that they had
deceived him by selling him butterine for
butter, and saying that he would refuse to
settle the bill, $41.i0 The defendants as
sured him that it was all a mistake due
to their drummer, Van Horn, who was
then in their employ. They sent a mao fer
the tub and when he refused to give it I'D
to him Joseph Wilkins. one of the defend
ants, came to his store. Mr.. wilkins ac-
knowledged that the stuff was outterine
and made reduction N the bill.
Brands Removed.
Philip A karr, who stated that he had
been in the employ of the defendants for
some time. next testified. He said that he
was employed by them for about nine
months. leaving them in March last. He
said that he and other employees were fire.
quently ordered by the defendants to re-
move the marks from the tubs Of cleomar-
Sdilue, tne stencil ana DrdnQett
marks. Gs well as the internal revenue
stamps and marks. This work was dom.
secretly, he said, at the defendants store,
Ttable and home, and also in the freight
cars, in which the original pao kages were
brought to the city.
When it was done in the freight cars
generally at night. he explained, the car
doors were kept closed. the work being done
by the light of candle. The stencil marks
and brands were removed. he said, by the
means of a scraper, and after the tacks
holding the revenue stamps were removed,
the stamp and other distinguishing paper
were removed by the application of water
The marks of the scrapng were carefully
disguised by sand paper and by the rubbing
thereon of dirty paper. The witnesses also
testified to dumping the stuff from the
original packages and repacking It, From
10 to 70 secondhand butter tubs were he
declared. purchased every week or so. in
which the defendants shipped the butterine.
The stamp and other mark removed from
the original packages were thrown away in
the Streets he said.
DR.. Augustus c. Taylor a druggist and
chemist. testified to analyzing the sample
given him by Mr.. Miles. saying that he
found 1t to be oleomargarine.
The governments case was closed by the
testimony of Clarendon Smith, local deal
er in butter.
The trial was adjourned until tomorrow
morning. Then the defense will open their
case.