Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1901-08-20
ADULTERATED COFFEE.
GROCER WHITE FOUND GUILTY
or VIOLATING OHiO'S PURE
FOOD LAWS.


or VIOLATING OHIO's PURE
FOOD LAWS.
Interesting Facts Generating the
Roasting Of Gomez Drought Ont By
Scientific Experts-Prcsence Of Haze
terfa.
TOLEDO, O., Aug. 3.-The jury in Judge
Meck's court in this city has found
James White, local grocer, guilty of
selling adulferated coffee The prose
cution was based on 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 a short consultation, a YER
dict of guilty was returned by the jury.
The State of Ohio considers this a big
victory. Pure Food Commissioner
Blackburn has been waging warfare
on spurious food articles and the de-
partment has been successful.
The complaint of the State Of Ohio
was that Ariosa coffee was coated with
a substance which concealed defects in
the coffee and made it appear better
than 1t is. The State charged this
coating or glazing was a favorable me-
dunn for the propagation of bacteria.
Prof. G. A. Kirchmaier, of this city,
well 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 at all. He declared that
the glazed coffee was not wholesome
food product.
Chemist Schmidt, Of Cincinnati, cor
| roborated the testimony of Prof. Kirch-
maier The State did not present fur
| Their 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
III. w. Wiley. Of the United States Ag-
ricultural Department; Prof. Vaughn OF
Ann Arbor University; Profs. Belle
and Weber, of the Ohio State Univer-
sity, were called to defend Ariosa. Dr.
Wiley had made careful examination
of the method of manufacturing Ario
sa. He told of the 100000 eggs used
by the Arbuckles yearly in the prepare
ton of this glazing. On this point in
cross examination, the States attorney
deftly drew from him the information
that these eggs might be kept in cold
storage by the Arbuckles for q year OF
two at time
The experts who heard DR.. Wiley's
testimony were pleased to be able tt
"catch" so famous chemist. The doc
tor at one point in his testimony ex
planned very clearly how it is that thu
egg put into the coffee pot by the house
wife settles the coffee. He said tha
the heat coagulates the egg, and as /
sinks to the bottom of the pot it carrie.
the fine particles of coffee with it, ant
thus clarifies the drink. 1t is the act o.
coagulation in the coffee pot that does
the work. Later on in his cross exam
nation, he had to admit that when tn.
egg was put on Ariosa coffee at thu
factory it became coagulated. and al
egg cannot be coagulated but once, tina
the coating on coffee was practically nj
value, as settler" when it reached
the coffee pot.
Prof. Wiley acknowledged that thu
glazing might be favorable medium
for the propagation Of bacteria, al
though he would not testify positivel.
either way because he was not bac
teriologist.
Prof Vaughn. of Ann Arbor, also ;
!; witness for the Arbuckles, said b
found bacteria on Ariosa coffee.
Prof. Belle, another witness for th
defense, found any number Of livel.
bacteria on Arosa coffee he examined
and he agreed that glazed coffee surel.
was more favorable medium for tn
propagation of bacteria than unglaze'
coffee.
II Pure Food Commissioner Blackburn
says: "The State is very much elate'
over its victory against this corpora
ton. We are now considering the nd
visibility Of informing every grocer Il
the State of Ohio that it is an infraC
ton of the laws to sell Ariosa, and a
the same time give warning to con
sumers that the coffee is an adulterai
ed food article"
The verdict of the jury in this case
of national Importance because grea
many other States have pure food law
like that of Ohio. and it is natural t
suppose that similar action will b
taken by other Pure Food Commits
sioncrs to prevent the sale of glaze
t coffees.
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