The midland journal., 1901-08-16
ADULTERATED COFFEE.
GROCER WHITE FOUND GUILTY
OF VIOLATING OHIO'S PURE
FOOD LAWS.

TOLEDO, o., Aug 9.-The jury In Judge
Meck's court In this city has found
james White, local grocer, guilty of
selling adulterated coffee. The prose-
cutiOn was based on a package of Ar
buckles Ariosa coffee.
The State of Ohio, through the Pure
Food Commission, prosecuted White.
The case was on trial for nearly a
month and attracted national atten-
ton.
The manufacturers of Ariosa coffee
conducted the defense for Grocer
White. The best attorneys In the
country were retained to defend him,
but, after short consultation, ver-
dict of guilty was returned by the jury
The State of Ohio considers this n big
victory. Pure Food Commissioner
Blackburn has been waging a warfare
OH spurious food articles and the de-
partment has been successful.
The complaint of the State of Ohio
was that Ariosa coffee was coated with
q substance which concealed defects In
the coffee and made it appear better
than 1t Is. The State charged this
coating or glazing was favorable me.
dunn for the propagation Of bacteria.
Prof g. A. Kirchmaier of this city
we'll known chemist. was the princi'
pal witness for the State. He had
made scientific examinations of sam.
pies Of Ariosa purchased from Grocer
White In the open market, He found
that each ArioSa berry contained an
average of 800 bacteria. Mr.. Kirch-
maier further testified that other cOf-
fees he examined contained few bacte-
ria or none ut all. He declared that
the glazed coffee was not n wholesome
food product,
Chemist Schmidt, of Cincinnati, cor.
toborated thetestimony of Prof Klrch.
rnGier The State did not present fur.
ther testimony.
The defense through the Arbuckles
who prepared this glazed coffee, Sc
cured some of the most eminent chem
lists and scientists In the United States
to give testimony In their behalf. Prof
H. w. Wiley. of the United States Ag
r!cultural Department.; Prof. Vaughn oi
Ann Arbor University: I'rofs, Bieile
and Webber, Of the Ohio State Univer.
sity, were called to defend Ariosa. DIR
Wiley had made careful examination
Of the method Of manufacturing Ar!O,
sa. He told Of the 100000 eggs used
by the Arbuckles yearly In the prepara'
ton of this glazing. On this point Ia
inn ha IN fo'o nj
deftly drew from him the information
that these eggs might be Kept In cold
storage by the Arbucklee for o year OF
two at time.
The experts who heard DR.. Wiley's
testimony were pleased to be able tC
"catch" 50 famous a chemist. The doc
tor at one point In his testimony ex
pIaned very clearly how it Is that the
egg put into the coffee pot by the house
wife settles the coffee. He said that
the heat coRgulates the egg. and as II
sinks to the bottom Of the pot 1t carries
the fine particles Of coffee With II, and
thus clarifies the drink. 1t is the act el
coagulatlon IN the coffee pot that does
the work. Later on In his cross exam
ination. he had to admit that when the
egg was put 90 Ariosa coffee at the
factory II became coagolated, and as
egg cannot be coaguIated- but once, thai
the coating on coffee was practically nc
value. as a settler" when II reached
ire coffee pot
Prof. Wiley acknowledged that the
glazing might be Q favorable medium
for the propagation OF bacteria, al
though he WouId not testify positigels
either way because be was not a bac
teriologist.
Prof. Vaughn. Of Ann Arbof. also a
witness for the Arbuckles, said he
found bacteria on Ar.osa coffee.
Prof. Bleiie.. another witness for the
defense, found any number of lively
bacteria ou Arlosa coffee he examined
and he agreed that glazed coffee surely
Was more favorable medium for the
propagation OF bacteria than unglaZeG
coffee.
Pure Food Commissioner Biackbur4
says: The State Is very much elated
over its victory against this corpora
tion. We are now considering the cd
visibility OF Informing every grocer III
the State Of Ohio that II Is an infrac
tion Of the laws to sell Ariosa. and. al
the same time give warning to con
sumers that the coffee is an adulterat
ed food article"
The verdict of the fury 10 this case Is
of national Importance because great
many other States have pure food laws
like that of Ohio. and 1t Is natural tC
suppose that similar action Will be
taken by other Pure Food -COmmis
eioners to prevent the sale of glazed
cotfees. ~srF