The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-08-08
iADULTERATED COFFEE.
GROCER WHITE FOUND GUILTY
OF VIOLATING OHlO'S PURE
FOOD LAWS.
Facts ~Concerning tho
Roaming of Coffee Drought ont by

rerta.
TOLEDO, o., Aug. 3.-The jury in Judge
bIeck's court in this city has found
James White, local grocer, guilty Of
selling aduterated coffee. The prose-
cutlon 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 q
month and attracted national atten-
tion.
The manufacturers of Ariosa coffee
conducted the defense for Grocer
White The best attorneys in the
country were retained to defend him,
hut, after a short consultation, a ver-
dict of guilty was returned by the jury.
The State of Ohio considers this n big
victory. Pure Food Commissioner
Blackburn has been waglng warfare
on spurious food articles and the de-
partment has been successful.
The complaint of the state of Ohio
was that Arlosa coffee was coated with
n substance which concealed defects In
the coffee and made it appear better
than it Is. The State charged this
| coating or glazing was favorable me-
dium for the propagation of bacteria.
Prof. G.. a. Kirchmaier, of this city,
a 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 ap
average of 800 bacteria. Mr.. Kirch-
maler 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
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-
ricultural Department; Prof. Vaughn Of
/ Ann Arbor University; Profs. Bleile
and Webber, of the Ohio State Univer
sity. were called to defend Ariosa. DR..
/ Wiley had made a careful examination
OF the method of manufacturing Ario-
sa. lie told of the 100000 eggs used
by the Arbuckles yearly in the prepara-
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 year or
two at a time.
| The experts who heard DR.. Wiley's
| testimony We're pleased to be able to
"catcn" SO famous 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 it 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
| ination, he had to admit that when the
| egg was put on Ariosa coffee at the
factory it became coagulated, and as
! egg cannot be coagulated but once, that
the coating on coffee was practically no
value, as settler" when it reached
| the coffee pot.
Prof. 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 bac-
| terologist.
Prof. Vaughn, of Ann Arbor, also
witness for the Arbuckles, said he
| found bacteria on Ariosa coffee.
Prof Bleile, another witness for the
| defense, found any number of lively
| bacteria on Arlosa 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: "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
'lt Stult VI oulO mat IL 10 dL ihii'N
tlon of the laws to sell Ariosa, and at
| 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 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 action will be
| taken by other Pure Food Commits
sioners to prevent the sale of glazed
! coffees.
WashinEton's Fnstidious Kinsman.
Lawrence, earl of Ferrers, distant
relative of George Washington, had a
most tyrannical temper, and one day in
fit of passion he cut down with his
sword his steward, an old gentleman
named Johnson. The latter had given
no provocation for the deed, and the
| crima WAS an, act Of hrut olitv inpXcuSa-