Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-04
TESTIFY FOR DEFENSE
WITNESSES TODAY IN THE HAIR
PER TRIAL.

The trial OF Robert y. Harper, accused
of violating the food and drugs law OF
1906 i'm the misbranding of an advertised
headache remedy. was resumed today
before Judge Kimball of the Police Court
DR.. John ID. Hurd of the department
of chemistry, Georgetown University,
who was the last witness in yesterday
afternoons session. was again called to
the witness stand. DIR. Hurd at the out
set qualified as an expert under ques-
tionins by counsel for the defense. He
stated at the instance of the defendant
he analysed the headache remedy in
question.
The witness criticised the method en-
ployed by the chemists, of the Department
OF Agriculture in the official analysis OF
the compound as being unreliable and
often incorrect. The government analysis
was made on the principle of measure,
which. the witness said. is necessarily de-
fective because the slight increase or de-
crease in quantity depended entirely upon
the sight. The witness told of tests by
weight, which he said are generally
agreed upon as the more reliable The
method he employed in determining the
quantity of alcohol in his recent analysis
of the Harper compound, the witness
stated, was by weight.
Witness Cross-Examined.
Under ross-examinat ton by United
States Attorney Baker, the witness
stated that the eye was also USED to a
great extent in the analysis by weight,
but he did not believe as much SO as Is
true In the measure method. He also
stated that the regularly recognized
alcohol solution in pharmaceutical COM
pounds was not pure, and contained OIL
per cent of water
This accounted for lesser percentage
of actual alcohol in different compounds
than was originally put in them. as shown
after a chemical analysis.
The witness was subjected to long cross
questioning upon the commonly recog-
nized poisons and the harmful doses of
acetanilide and antipyrine. the degree of
these doses and comparison between
the drugs and recognized poisons. The
witness contradicted himself upon several
important points given In his direct tes-
timony.
After Dr. Hurd left the witness stand
the defense called a number OF laymen
and druggists to give corroborative testi-
mony of that previously introduced by the
defense. The witnesses called were r.
w. Moore, F. T. Rawlings, a. N. Con-
ner. Samuel Bensinger and S. D. Truitt.
Frank M. Stone and William w: Talvall
were also called to the witness stand to
show that the bottle of Harper headache
remedy which was tested by DR.. Hurd
was from the same consignment of the
bottles seized by the government. and
from which the tests of the prosecution
were made.
Afternoon Session.
At the afternoon session Ashy Lavelle.
James f. Schneider, F. E. Cross and H.
C. Johnson, laymen, followed each other
to the witness stand and gave substantial
ly the same testimony as was given by
previous lay witnesses as to the remedial
effect of the Harper compound upon
themselves in the curing of headache.
They were questioned regarding the
number of doses taken to relieve the
headaches. and If they suffered any Ill
effects from the taking of the so-called
remedy
The cross-examination of the several
witnesses by attorneys for the prosecu-
ton was brief.
Following Mr. johnson. counsel for the
defense called the defendant Robert Fl.
Harper, to the witness stand, and at the
close of The Stars report the history Of
the remedy which has practically been on
trial for more than two weeks was being
told.
1t Is thought the direct cross-examina-
tion OF Mr.. Harper will continue through
out tomorrow.