The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-09-22
FOURTEEN GROCERS FINED
Sold Mustard Found to Be Adul
terated With Fleur.
Judge KimbalI Holds That While the
Offeose Was Unwilling IL Was
vio!atioB Of Law.

The flist of the adulterated food cases
came up before Judge Kimball in the po-
hoe court this morning, when r. II. Gaskin'
grocer. ut Twelfth and o streets, was ar
rsigned on a Charge of selling impure mus
tard. The prosecution of these cases was
entered unon as the result OF an ;nvesti-
/ CATION by District Chemist J. W. Hird, and
| thirteen additional informations against
other merchants were filed
Mr.. AId. The first witness, testified
nat he we3t to Gaskin's store ana bought
a quantity Jf she mustard, which he fouaG
60 Contain about "a per cent OF pure
mustard, the Remainder of the ingredients
being siOur and other adulterants. In an
| sw@r 10 a question ny Attorney Colbert.
5asktns counsel, as 10 whether any food
mussards were chemically pure, he claimed
hat he 5oGeht from Gaskins two bottles
of sanstard which were pure.
Gaskin in his own hehaH stated that he
! lad no idea that the mustard that he
sold was impure. He bought IL from
wholesale grocer n. H. Shea, OF No 3d.
J Pennsylvania avenue, and had teen buy
ing IL for years.
Grocer Shea testified that he had no
knowledge whatever that the mustard he
sold was impure, but that he did not be-
Iieve that any mustard sold by any grocer
in the country was chemically pure. He
considered Coleman's English mustard the
standard article, but ne understood that
1t eont4iaed about IL per cent OF flour
Perfectly pure must ard, he understood was
80 pungent and strong that no hous ekeeper
would use it,
John Sennnes. WHO claimed to toe an ex-
pert in the manufacture of mustards,
stated that in the average food mustard it
was absolutely necessary To have Ger
tain amount OF adulterant, which was
usually -four. sc oil In the mustard, he
said, would prevent ii keeping, without the
addition IF something OF the kind.
lie understood that a suit had been
prUueh. aga INST Coleman under the English
law. aud that be was compelled to label
all IauStGtl manufactured 10y him as ''coti
poupd T..ustard asst wa $ rove d impraclca-
tie to Z axe perfectly pure food mustard.
After tie testimony of these witnesses,
Attorney Colbert argued that whatever OF
Tense had been committed, it was clearly
done Uuwittingiy. and that his clients were
plainly innocent Of amy intention to sell
an aculter ated article.
Judge Kimball, while admitting that
the offense was apparently an unwilling
one. held that il was nevertheless a viola.
lion Of tae law. and 10 accordingly imposed
a fine of So i'm each case.
The names of the grocers fined are: John
Richberger, No 81 X street northwest:
David Weeden, No. 700 Tenth street north
east: RictardSasian, Twelfth and o streets
uorul, west Edwin YewelI. No. 114l Ninth
street northwest: Charles W. Bohannun. No.
lo1 \ stI-et southeast; Patrick f. Car
ley, No. 700 New Jerse avenue northwest;
Daniel ,iiesher. Eighth and streets north
east. Frank Davidson. No. 1851 Sixth
street hort invest; George BaBr, Third and
II streets mort Invest; j. L Earnshaw, Third
and Il streets northeast. Charles G.. Nc
Chesney, No. 1896 Ninth street northwest.
Henry W. Beine, No. 1908 Sixth street
northwest: Edward 0'Neiti, No. $50 L
street mort Invest: william Il. Dodge h Son,
Nc. 1872 Tenth street northwest.