Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-10-03
FINED FOR DIS
TR|BUT|NC SAMPLES


IN arrest. having some unfortunate
features. was made Friday under
our borough ordinance. which pro
bibits the distribution Of medical
samples. An apparently worthy youup
man from another State unfamiliar
with our ordinance aud acting under
specific instructions from his employ
ers uuwittiugly fell into tile tolls Of
the law
On Wednesday q salesman represent.
ing the Orator +. Woodward company
OF LEROY. n. y, assisted bv bows ON.
nloved for the purpose. distributed free
samples of Lanes Family medicine
together with booklet, throughout
town 1t was found that no special
effort was made to place these samples
in the hands Of persons connected with
the house, but that they were often
left in the doorways, all of which is
in direct violation not only of the bor
ough ordinance, but also of State
law recently enacted.
The borough ordinance imposes
fine of twenty-five dollars upon per.
sons or firms that throw or distribute
or cause to be thrown or distributed
bottles, packages, or devices contain
ing samples of medicine, drugs pills,
&c, in the streets, alleys, or upon or
about any public or private property,
building. dwellings. door yards or
premises. within the limits of said
borough of Danville.
On Thursday Chief-o Police Mince-
moyer lodged information before Just
ice of the Peace Oglesby alleging that
on September % 4. A Weed, the sales
man, handling Lanes Family Medicine
and booklet. "did throw or distribute
package and packages containing sam
pies of medicine on door step on
Mill street, contrary to section / of an
ordinance, &c. -
1t transpired that by that time Mr..
Weed, the salesman. had moved on to
Sunbury. Friday morning officer
Mincemoyer went down to the latter
town and took the salesman into Gus
tody, returning to Dauville with him
on the ? :2l train.
At the office OF Justice of the Peace
Oglesby Mr.. Weed told his story,
which made it clear that he had been
oF+ +bo 60
that he was doing anything that vio-
lated ordinance or State law. He is a
young man, raised on a farm at Cliff
ton, n. Y, and has only recently en-
tered the employ of the medicine firm
He produced written directions from
the company, which instructed him to
place the samples in the door lamb
as far up as possible. - A gentleman
connected with the company having
charge of the agents accompanied Mr..
Weed into this State and in one or
more of the towns instructed him in
distributing the samples, employing
the very method (which brought the
young salesman to grief in Danville.
Mr.. Weed was inclined to think that
Danville was unique in its ordinance
but when he was shown the new State
law relating to the matter which is
much more rigid and sweeping he ex-
pressed himself as ready to quit.
Briefly, the State law of May s,
1907, provides that it shall not be law
ful for any person to deposit, cast,
throw or place any package, parcel or
sample of any medicine or candy in
or upon any house, building, porch,
veranda, portico or any other part of
any house or building or in or upon
any lawn, yard, lane, street or public
highway within this commonwealth.
Any person violating any of the provis-
ions of this Act shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor and upon conviction
shall be sentenced to pay fine of one
hundred dollars or undergo imprison-
ment for one year or both or either at
the discretion of the court
The young man felt very much
aggrieved. Through no fault of his
own he had been put to expense and
made to stand the deep humiliation of
an arrest. Still there seemed to be no
way out of it but to impose the pen.
atty of twenty-five dollars. Costs were
added to it, which ran the bill up to
500. A, This amount Mr.. Weed paid,
hoping that the company employing
him. whose directions he had follow
ed in good faith, would stand by him
and reimburse him.
The entire proceedings are import
ant in that the arrest is one of the
first based ON the borough ordinance
relating to the distribution of medi-
cine samples, which ordinance is back
ed up in such an effectual way by the
! State law.
WaShingtonviIie Items.