Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1901-08-16
PURE FOOD
LAW VIOLATED.
Interesting Facts Concerning the Roasting
Of Coffee Brought Out by Scientific
Experts-Presence Of Bacteria.

TOLEDO. August 10th-The fury II
Judge Meck's court in this city hal
found James White, local grocer
guilty OF selling adulterated coffee
The prosecution was based on pack
age of Ariosa coffee.
The State Of Ohio. through the Pure
Food Commission, prosecuted White
The case was on trial for nearly O
month, and attracted national atten
ton.
The manufacturers Of Ariosa coffee
conducted the defense for Grocer
White. Attorneys Of eminence
were retained to defend him.
but after short consultation a verdict
Of guilty was returned by the Jury.
The State Of Ohio considers this big
victory. Pure Food Commissioner
Blackburn has been waging a 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
substance which concealed defects
In the coffee and made 1t appear better
than It is. The State charged this coat
ing or glazing was favorable medium
for the propagation of bacteria.
Prof. G. A. Kirchmaier, Of this city,
a well-known chemist, was the prin-
cipal witness for the State. He tes-
titled that he had made scientific ex-
aminations Of samples of Ariosa
purchased from Grocer White in
the open market, and found that
each berry contained an average
Of 300 bacteria. Mr.. Kirchmaier
further testified that other cof-
fees he examined contained few bac-
terra 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.
Kirchmaier. The State did not present
further testimony.
The defense secured some of
the most eminent chemists and
scientists In the United States
to give testimony In their behalf Prof.
H. w. Wiley. of the United States
Agricultural Department.; Prof.
Vaughn, of Ann Arbor University;
Profs. Belle and Weber, of the Ohio
State University, were called to de-
fend Ariosa. DR.. Wiley made a care
fui examination of the method Of man.
uraeturing He told of the H.
100000 eggs used yearly in the prepar-
ation Of this glazing. On this point,
In cross-examination. the States at
torney deity drew from him the in
formation that these eggs might be
kept In cold storage for a year or two
at time.
The experts who heard DR.. Wiley's
testimony were pleased to listen
to SO famous chemist. The
doctor at one point in his testimony
explained very clearly how 1t Is that
the egg put into the coffee pot by
the housewife settles the coffee. He
said that the heat coagulates the egg,
and as It 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 Of coagulation In
the coffee pot that does the work.
Later on in his cross examination, he
admitted that when the egg was
put on Ariosu coffee at the factory 1t
became coagulatcd. and as egg cannot
be coagulated but once, that the coat.
ing on coffee was practically no value,
as a settler when It reached the
coffee pot.
Professor Wiley acknowledged that
the glazing might be q favorable
medium for the propagation of bac.
terra, although he would not testify
positively either way because he was
not a bacteriologist.
Professor Vaughn, Of Ann Arbor.
also a witness for the defense, said
he found bacteria on Ariosa coffee.
Professor Belle, another witness for
the defense, testified he found any
number Of lively bacteria on Arlosa
coffee he examined, and agreed that
glazed coffee surely was a more favor
able medium for the propagation Of
bacteria than un glazed coffee.
Pure Food Commissioner Blackburn
says: "The State is very much elated
over its victory. We are now consider
Ing the advisability Of informing every
grocer In the State of Ohio that It is
an infraction of the laws to sell
Ariosa, and at the same time give
warning to consumers that the coffee
is an adulterated food article"
The verdict of the jury In this case
is of national importance because a
great many other States have pure
food laws like that of OHIO, and it
is natural to suppose that similar ac-
ton will be taken by other Pure Food
Commissioners to prevent the sale of
glazed cofrees.