The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-08-10
ADULTERATED COFFEE.
GROCER WHITE FOUND GUILTY
OF VIOLATING OHlO'S PURE
FOOD LAWS.

Interesting Facts Concerning the
Roasting of CoHee Brought out by
Scientific Experts-Presence of Bno-
teriR.
TOLEDO. O., Aug. 3-The jury in Judge
Meck's court In this city has found
James White. n local grocer, guilty or
selling adultcrated coffee. The prose
cution was based on n package Of Ar
buckles ArioSa coffee.
The State Of Ohio, through the Pure
Food Commission. prosecuted White.
The case was on trial for nearly
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 hih'
hut. after a short consultation, YER
diet of guilty was returned 10y the jury.
The state Of Ohio considers this big
victory. Pure Food Commissioner
blackburn has been waging warfare
on spurious food articles and the de
n1liiUtuA HIS bft'A NNaANNN'N+''A'
The complaint Of the State of Ohio
was that Arosa coffee was coated with
n substance which concealed defects in
the coffee and made il appear better
than it is. The State charged this
coating or glazing was favorable me
dunn for the propagation of bacteria.
Prof G. \. 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.. krch.
maier further testified that other cot-
fees he examined contained few bacte-
ria or none at all He declared that
tine glazed coffee was not wholesome
food product.
Chemist Schmidt, OF Cincinnati. cor
roborated the testimony of Prof. kiVh-
maier. The State did not present fur
ter testimony.
The defense through the ArOucklcs.
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.
II. w. Wiley. Of the United States Az
rcultural Department; Prof. Vaughn or
Ann Arbor University; ProfS. Belle
and Weber. Of the Ohio State Univer-
slty. were called TO defend Ariosa Dr.
Wiley had made a careful examination
Of the method OF manufacturing AFRO
81. He told of the 100000 eggs used
hy the Arbuckles yearly in the prepara-
ton Of this glazing. On this point in
cross examination, the States attorney
dcftlv drew from him the Information
that these eggs might be kept in cold
storage by the Arbuckles for a year or
two al a time.
The experts who heard Or. Wiley =
testimony were pleased to be able to
catch" so famous a chemist. The doc
tor at one point in his testimony eX-
planned 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 coagulates the egg, and as it
sinks to the bottom Of the pot II carries
the fine particles Of coffee with it, and
thus clarifies the drink. 1t is the act Of
coagulation In the coffee pot that does
the work. Later on in his cross exam
nation. be had to admit that when the
egg was put on Ariosa coffee at the
factory il became coagulated, and as
egg cannot be coagulated but once. that
the coating on coffee was practically no
value. as settler when II reached
the coffee pot
Prot. Wiley acknowledged that the
glazing might be a favorable medium
for the propagation Of bacteria, al
though he would not testify positively
either way because he was not a bac-
teriologist.
Prof Vaughn. Of Ann Arbor, also a
witness for the Arbuckles, said he
found bacteria on Ariosa coffee.
Prof. Belle. another witness for the
defense, found any number Of lively
bacteria on Ariosa coffee he examined,
and he agreed that glazed coffee surely
was a more favorable medium for the
propagation of bacteria than unglazed
| coffee.
Pure Food Commissioner Blackburn
says: 1.-THE State is very much elated
over its victory against this corpora.
ton. We are now considering the ad-
visibility of informing every grocer In
the State of Ohio that 1t IS an infrac
ton 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 jury in this case Il
Of national Importance because a grea
many other States have pure food laws
Ike that Of Ohio, and it is natural t
suppose that similar action Will b.
taken by other Pure Food Commits
sloners TO prevent the sale Of glazeC
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