Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-09
GRAND JURY AT WORK
Begins Investigation of the Al
legged Ice Trust.
EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES
Accused of Selling Short Weight and
Not Using Scales.
DEALERS FORFEIT COLLATERAL
Law Being Enforced-Report Regard
ing New Plant-Company
to Double Capacity.
EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES
DEALERS FORFEIT COLLATERAL

The investigation by the grand jury Of
the alleged ice trust" is In progress Tho
entire session today was devoted to the
examination of witnesses. many of whom
| had given testimony during the fnvestI-
cation made by the United States attnr-
ney prior to his recent report to the At
torney General
AS usual no information could be CLEAN
ed from the United States attorneys Of
flee, but a close espionage on the vicinity
of the grand jury room revealed the faces
of several well-known men
Among the first to arrive were Nicholas
Auth. who, when jokingly told he looked
like an ice dealer. entered a strenuous
denial. He, of course, had nothing to say
for publication of his knowledge of the
alleged unlawful actions of some local
ice dealers
Later arrivals among the witnesses
were Christian Heurich of the Heurich
BreWlng Company, who recently offered
to relieve the Ice situation by working
MS plant overtime and donating the extra
output to the poor; e. c. Brandenburg,
attorney for the creditors Of the Purity
Ice Company, and whose brother. +. Wal
ter Brandenburg. is acting as one of the
receivers of that company; E NJ. Willis
and j. r. Ferris ice dealers, and n half
dozen others thought to be dealers in ice
AS to what company or transactions are
be obtained. Assistant United States At
torney Jesse c. Adkins is in charge of the
investigation and is presenting the case
to the grand jury.
Dealers Forfeit Collateral.
In connection with the campaign against
those ice dealers in this city who. il In
alleged, do not give their customers full
weight, three cases were called to the
attention of the Police Court today by As
sistant Seaier of Weights and Measures
Schoenthal. They were the first cases of
the kind this season. Ceurie- Sanders OF
All 8 street southwest and james Heaney
of 1929 9th street were both charged with
selling ice without first Weighing it; and
James West of1231 Alton street north
east was charged with selling forty-two
pounds of ice for fifty pounds Each of
the defendants had deposited s. collateral
for his appearance in .--e court. When
their names were called. however, there
were no responses. SO the collateral was
forfeited.
The prosecutions were made under a new
law, approved June 10 last. II specifies
that mo person shall sell or offer for
sale anywhere in the District of Columbia
any provisions or produce commodities
OF any kind for weight or measure less
than the true weight or measure thereof.
and all provisions, produce or commodities
of any kind shall be weighed by scales
weights or balances or measured in meas
ures duty tested and sealed by the sealer or
an assistant sedler OF weights and meas
ures''
Prosecute Under New Law
While it was possible to prosecute under
the old law, the new statute, being broader
WILL it is stated, be used. Under It ice
dealers be prosecuted for failing to
weigh ice they sell, as well for selling
Ice that is not up to the weight for which
the customer Is charged
II the cases which were presented at the
Police Court today Mr.. Schoenthal says
he followed the wagons and watched the
men in charge He noticed, he said that
neither Sanders nor Heaney weighed the
Ice and he ordered them to deposit col
lateral They admitted they had not been
in the habit of weighing the ice they sold.
In the case of the other defendant 1t
was stated. the inspector saw so pounds
charged up to the customer, and II really
weighed only ~ pounds, 1t is alleged.
The campaign will be continued by order
of Commissioner West.