Imperial Valley press., 1909-04-17
Breaking Up Business of Ped ding Liquor Prescriptions
 On the Streets,
Jury Finds Physician Guilty of Violst ing Ordinance By Selling Order For Whiskey to HeaIthiest Man In El centro-Booze Case That Was Not a Farce,

A violator of the liquor ordinance, caught by the City Marshal and pros ecuted by the City Attorney, was tried before a jury in Recorder Haven's court last Wednesday,, and convicted without the assistance of excited re- formers or special counsel. The en- tire business of obtaining jury and sub hitting the case was concluded early in the afternoon, and the jury found verdict of guilty in few moments On the jury were several citizens, classed as "short hairs" who had been excluded from the jury box in the Hell case by peremptory challenge.
 The prosecution, trial and verdict constitute a complete answer to the raucous howl that Fl Centro cannot be trusted to deal with violators of her ordinances and must be ''re- formed" by outside busybodies and frantic editors. There was no farce comedy in the court room.
 Dr. B. Mcintyre, who has been do ing land office business in liquor prescriptions, was the defendant. He was his own attorney. Marshal Brad ford testified that he saw Mcintyre write liquor prescription for l.. w. Hollis, while standing upon the side plaint, of illness and was not ques- toned by Mcintyre. The prescrip- ton was for 8 quart of whiskey. Hol- lis paid two bits for it. Bradford said he knew no healthier, more TO- bust man than Hollis in Fl Centro. Hollis testified with evident reluc- tor He substantiated the testimony of Bradford, but said he had cold for three or four months Mcintyre tried to induce him to remember that he had mentioned the cold when he asked for the prescription, but Bill wouldn't swear to that. It came out that Hollis gave the quart of whiskey to the Marshal, but two or three days later he remembered his cold, de- manded and obtained the liquor, and with the help of two or three friends disposed of the medicine" and evil 1 dence.
 ! Mcintyre refused to take the stand 1 in his own behalf, but managed to | get in his story under. the guise of | to,, f/, hn itpN 11yh oI, 1 City Attorney smilingly tolerated. Mcintyre professed to be an advocate of strict temperance and an enemy to the Demon Rum," and he told touch
 ing tales of his benevolence to vic
 tms of the drink habit. He said he had one patient who needed whiskey
 to ward off delirium, but when he
 gave a prescription to the patients
 wife to enable her to get quart of the | sovereign remedy for colds and jim
 jams, druggist Dunaway refused to
 fill it and said he wasn't selling whis-
 key. The woman then obtained a
 prescription from Dr. McCombs and
 Dmaway filled it promptly. McIn-
 tyre obviously was grieved by Duna-
 ways discrimination.
 Mcintyre contended, against the
 city attorneys opinion, that whiskey
 is good medicine for cold, even if
 the patient is a steady thinker, and
 he gravely informed the jury that he
 had observed an epidemic of colds in El Centro during the past month or so
 The city attorney told the jury
 that he was not yindictive toward
 Mcintyre and did not want him pun ished, but he insisted on putting a
 stop to McIntyre's business of stand ing on street corners and peddling quart prescriptions for whiskey at two bits each.
 The jury found Mcintyre guilty and $ recommended him to the mercy of l the court.
 } Sentence has been deferred to April
 30, Dr. Mcintyre announces that he } will leave El Centro-says he wouldn't live in such town, His property 5 is for sale
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