The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-06
PROVED BEER WAS BEER.
Chicago Man Succeeded in Convinc-
ing Police Court Judge. j..

ing Police Court Judge. E.
From the Chicago Tribune.
AS secretary of the Hyde Park Pro-
tective association, Arthur Burrage
Farwell has conducted countless cam
paigns against those who persist in
selling liquor in the prohibition ter
ritory. One of the troubles that have
confronted him has been the extreme
difficulty in obtaining proof that will
remain proof after the guns of the at
torneys for the defense. He does not
want to employ boys to gather this
evidence, and detectives can not do the
work because the "blind pig" keepers
know them all by sight and would re-
fuse to sell them liquor or even to let
them see that liquor is sold.
Volunteers are called in, and these
are young men who do not drink and
who can be depended upon to keep their
eyes open and tell the truth. The
trouble at first was that Mr.. Farwell
let a couple of men work for him who
had never drunk before and who would
not drink even to get evidence against
lawbreakers. AS they had not tasted
the beer or the whiskey they could not
testify as to the nature of the drink
Finally he got together n corps of
workers who Coulo tell what a drink
was and yet who used liquor only
moderately. He sent them out through
the district and they came back and
reported violations of the prohibition
law and furnished. names andj address
ses. Mr.. Farwell went to the Hyde
Park police station, got out warrants,
Il
Justice Quinn set the case for hear
ing the next day, and when it was
called the room was filed with men
who worked under the banner of re-
form with Mr.. Farwell and with other
men who worked under the beer signs
of the opposition.
"Our position is," said one of the
lawyers for the defense, that Mr.. Far
we'll cannot prove that we sold beer
Mr.. Farwell picked up the guage OF
battle by putting on the witness stand
one of his acute investigators.
Let me ask YOU" he said, did you
buy bottle of beer in this defendants
place of business?"
"Object!" said the lawyer for the de-
fense. you will have to prove that
this man is an expert and that he
knows beer when he sees it,"
Have you ever taken a drink of
beer?" Mr. Farwell asked.
Yes" said the witness.
WAS the beer that was sold to you
in this blind pig the same that you
have bought in other places?"
II want this to be definite" urged
the opposing lawyer. LET him tell how
it looked and how it tasted, and then
Wen know if he knew it was beer"
What did it taste lke?" sked Mr..
Farwell.
Beer" repeated the witness, prompt
ly.
What did it look like"
Beer"
"Was 1t beer?"
"Object!" said the other attorney
again, that asks for IA conclusion"
BY this time Mr.. Farwell was a little
nettled. He knew he had the right and
the law on his side and he did not want
TO be trlcked,
"What is that in your shirt front?"
he asked the lawyer,
"A diamond" said the lawyer, look
ing as if it had nothing to do with the
question.
"How do you know?"
"Well, said the lawyer, hesitating as
he saw the trap lit looks like a dia-
mond and feels like one, and cuts glass
like one. It's a diamond
IF it is diamond, then my friend
bought beer. because he knows as much
about his beer as you do about your
diamond" said Mr.. Farwell.
Justice Quinn sided with Mr.. Farwell
and the blind pig keeper was fined.