Evening star., 1899-02-02
Charges Made Of Violation of Pure
Food Law.
LOCAL GROCERS THE DEFENDANTS
James c. Turner Pleads Guilty and
Pays a Fine,
THOMAS H. PICKFORD'S CASE

James o. Turner a dealer in the 0 street
| market. was In the Police Court today
charged with the sale of oleomargarine for
butter. When the case was called in court
| in December last jury trial demand
| ed Today when the matter was brought
! to the attention of the court his counsel
Attorney Truitt, said he wanted to with
| draw the demand for a jury trial and en-
| ter plea of guilty.
He called the courts attention to the law
| in the case, and said s. was the lowest
| penalty provided. His client he said, had
never been charged with such an offense
before. and he thought the prosecuting at
torney would recommend the imposition of
| the lowest fine
MIR. Pugh said he could make no such rec
cmmendation. The defendant had entered
a plea of guilty, and the case was in the
hands of the court
In consideration of the nature of the plea
ana the statement of counsel, Judge Scott
said he would impose the lowest fine. 3d.
which the defendant paid
Mr.. PicI<ford's Case.
Mr.. Thomas II. Pickford, who is in the
grocery business at 9th street and Pennsyl-
Vanla avenue northwest, was also placed on
| trial for an alleged violation of the pure
| food law. 1t was charged by health office
officials that he sold oleomargarine for pure
rCDreSgntpd
attorney Maddox, while Mr.. Pugh appear
| ed for the District.
The prosecuting attorney. in his opening
address to the jury. said the law was
wise one, intended TO compel business men
to furnish that for which the customer
asks.
rs the prosecution under the law govern
| ing the sale of pure food and drugs"
| Judge Scott asked.
Yes, your honor" was Mr. Pugh's re-
sponse.
! Orlando King. colored, messenger in the
| health department. testified that the 2Sth
of November he stopped in front of the de-
fendant's store and asked for {. pound of
butter. On the counter he sign that
! ne read Butter 1t was marked II cents
a pound, and he asked for a pound of it.
The man who waited on him, he thought
| was Mr.. Pickford
When he had been given the article he
turned to the man who waited on him and
asked: rs this butter" The response ne
said, was: Yes. it's good butter" Wit
| ness said DR.. Lyrch was with him. He
turned over the purchase 10 Prof. Hird.
Paper Stamped "OIeomargarine"
On cross-eXamination witness said that
after he made the purchase the article was
, wrapped in paper. When he reached the
health office he noticed stamped on the pa
per the word "Oleomargarine. Witness
did uot pay any particular attention TO the
sign on the bench but he thought it read:
Butter, IA cents a pound" He sent
office. He said he was not directed to go
to any particular dealer. Mr.. Pickford's
store was only one of several places Wis
| tied
Witness King resumed the stand after
recess of the court. He could not tell
what time in the day he went to Mr.. Pick
fcrd's store. but thought it was between
10 a m. and pm. Witness went TO other
places the day he made the purchase at
Mr.. Pickford's.
Inspector Furnished the Money.
Witness said ne was mistaken in his di-
rect examination when he said the article
was wrapped in paper. 1t was given to him
in yellow sack
Inspector Robert L. Lynch of the health
department testified that he gave the wit
ness. King, the money with which to make
the purchase at the defendants place He
did not hear the conversation. The sign
on the bench. ne said was in two lines
printed: 'Butterine, Il cents pound; )
pounds, 90 cents, 'butterine'' being divid-
ed at the second syllable, and the last syl-
label being in the lower line.
Witness said the word oIeomargarne was
stamped on the sack in which the article
was delivered. He could not say that the
man who waited on King was Mr.. Pick
ford.
Prof. Hird chemist of the health depart
ment, testified that on the 2Sth of Noyem-
Der he received a package. He made an
analysis of its contents and found that it
was what the law terms ''oleomargarne'
The defendant made denial of the
charge, and said he did not wait on the
witness, King. He said he deals in both pure
butter and butterine. In order to avoid any
confusion. he sells butterine only in pack
ages and pure butter in hulk. His instruc-
items TO his clerks that they shall un-
Ger no circumstances. sell butterne unless
the sacks are stamps. Any clerk, he saws,
who misinforms a customer about the arti- q
Gle sold is promptly discharged. A clerk |
who would be guilty of such a misrepresen- |
tation he would not trust fifteen minutes. |
Defendant said he had built up a good |
trade honestly. He never waits on Gus |
tomars. His brother manages the business |
and pays the bills.
At the time charged, he said, IS cents was |
the lowest price at which butter was sold |
while the butterine oleomargarine sold at /
IS and Il cents. Defendant said he had |
always obeyed the law and had instructed |
his clerks to be particular under penalty of |
dismissal
Clerks Testimony.
Charles r. Quesenberry clerk in Mr..
Pickford's store, testified he had been in
the store about three years. He had been in
structed not TO let a customer carry off a |
package of butterinc without acquainting
him of the nature OF his purchase His er-
ployer he said, handles large quantities of |
the article. Some people who use it, he
said, are ashamed to ask for it, ana when
making purchase they whisper what they |
want
In some instances when he sees what a |
customer wants he whispers to the custo |
mer the nature of the article.
Luther f. Hall, also a clerk in the store
gave similar testimony. Many customers
he said, ask for fourteen-Cent butter, and
the clerks always correct them.
Don't you sell quantities of it that is
put on restaurant tables for butter?" Mr..
Pugh asked.
He doesn't know that" said Attorney
Maddox. If they do you ought to prose-
cute them"
Il think So too" said Mr.. Pugh, "and l
ril hay abt
Verdict of Not Guilty.
The case was submitted to the jury and
after brief deliberation a verdict of not