The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-22
BoNDNoqGAGE GUARANTEE o
MAJOR PRICES SOFT DRINKS,
ALL SYRACUSE SAYS THE WORST
WAS JAMAICA GINGER.

II Seems There's q Deceitful Mixture You
Get In That Town on Saturday Nights
when the Barkeeper Thinks You Don't
Need Whiskey Police Cell Episode.
Although half a dozen witnesses for the
prosecution testified yesterday at the second
day Of the court martial OF Major David
Price Of the Coast Artillery, who Is being
tried at the Army Building for neglect Of
duty due to intoxication, the prosecution
was unable to pro We that the Major had
taken a drink Of any Intoxicating liquor "a
cept jamaica ginger, or that any one had
seen him intoxicated while on his detail in
central New York to inspect the militia
regiments in Syracuse, Troy and Albany.
The questions which the ten members OF
the court asked the witnesses showed that
the Major had INDUCED only in soft drinks,
but the amount of these was astounding.
The first witness called was Eli Pryor, a
bartender in the Mansion House in Syracuse.
He said that on the night OF February IS
Capt. Bowley. who had been sent by Gen.
Grant to find the missing Major, came to
the Mansion House. The Major was there
with three friends. All four were drink
ing, the friends real stuff, while he had
served Price with. ginger ale.
Joseph Kelly, the bellboy Of the Yates
Hotel in Syracuse, testified that on Feb
ruary o, the night that Major Price was
arrested by the Syracuse police, the officer
had been perfectly sober. He had seemed
to the bellboy to be drugged, and not to
know just what he was doing. =,
complained Of being BILE to sleep and
had sent him out for two sleeping powders.
After that the Major went out for a walk
and didn't return. The bellboy was sent
out to look for him, and found him in Clum's
saloon drinking with the bartender.
When the bartender, Martin Lammin,
was called the court began TO sit up and
take notice. fainmin admitted that he
had served The Major with drinks.
How many asked Major Shanks, the
judge advocate,
About five was the reply.
What did you give him? Whiskey?'
asked the court.
No, sir. It was a mixture Of ginger
ale and jamaica ginger which we reserve
for Saturday. night trade" replied the
bartender. I'VE give it to the customers
when they're too drunk to know the diff
fere nee
Lammin explained to the Court that the
Major had come into the saloon and COM
mixture. he said, was good for that feeling.
Capt. A. J. Bowlsy of the Coast Artillery,
who had been sent up to Syracuse to find
the Major and bring him back to New York;
was the next witness. When ne Iounu
Major Price at the Mansion House on the
evening of February Is, he said. the Major
was in an irritable state. He didn't seem
to he intoxicated, but appeared to be out
of his head. He was unable to recognize
persons.
A Syracuse policeman testified that
Major Price had been brought to a police
station on the night OF February 8 and had
been put in a cell. But they took him right
back to the hotel. He didn't seem to be
intoxicated, said the policeman, but i'll, and
his mind was a little foggy.
Charles lie Barber, counsel for the de-
fence, asked that all reference to the Major
having been in a cell be stricken from the
record, thinking this was but fair to his
record AZ an officer. The court room was
cleared while this question was being de-
cided by the ten officers who composed the
court. When the room was thrown open
again Col. Grimes, the president, said that
the objection had not been sustained and
that the record must stand.
Another policeman testified about the
Raines law hotels along Railroad street in
syria cuse. He said that the department
was unable to cope with the conditions
which obtain in these hotels under the
present laws. Many persons are lured
there, drugged and robbed every year.
The defence will begin to-day.