Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-07-01
Arrested for Selling Bad Egse.

The first prosecution in the county
for selling bad eggs was made on be-
half of the state, when DR.. M. M.
Evans prominent physician of LIE
Grand, was hailed into Justice Millard's
court on an information filed by s. o.
Van DeBogart, state food inspector,
charging Evans with selling adulter-
ated eggs.
DR.. Evans answered the summons
and paid fine of $25 and costs, after
insisting that there be stricken from
the information all reference to his
sale, or that there was any intention
on his part to sell eggs that We're MT
fit for food
Constable A, Morse served the war
rant on DR. Evans at his home. The
Information alleged that DR.. Evans had
brought to Marshalltown last Friday
twelve dozen eggs, all but six Of which
decomposition. 1t was claimed by the
state that in some OF the eggs the
period Of incubation had SO far ad-
vanced that the eggs were perfectly
dark in color when candled The eggs
We're sold to G. M. Wheeler, State
street grocer, who In turn sold them
to customers. The customers, of
course. brought them back, and Wheel
Ing Immediately wrote Fl. r. Wright,
state dairy and food commissioner Mr.
| Wright then dispatched Mr.. Van De-
Rogart to investigate the case. and
DR.. Evans arrest followed.
Evans Side of Case.
DR.. Evans explanation of how the
| eggs came to be bad Is plausible He
does not deny that the eggs were bad
for he knew that at least some Of the
lot were after he had reached the
| Wheeler store.
DR.. Evans said that the eggs were
sorted from his pens, and were those
that had been discarded from those
saved for sittings because Of imperfect
shells. Not one was over the age for a
fresh egg, but In saving them, ready
to be marketed, the case had been set
In the cellar next to q carbide tank
of the acetylene gas generator. The
tank. 1t seems. sprung leak, and let
some of the carbide out on the floor
The bottom trays Of the egg case be-
came soaked began to mildew, and be-
cause Of excelsior and chaff in the case
the eggs stated to heat. When the
egge were brought to the Wheeler
store, and were taken from the case, it
was found that the bottom eggs were
moldy and warm. OF course all knew
that they were undoubtedly spoiled
and Dr. Evans gave orders to have
them candled and to take out all of the
| eggs that were bad. Some OF them
were candled before Evans lett the
store. and they were deducted from the
sole. The day following DIR. Evans
received a letter from Wheeler. stating
that more of the eggs were found to
be bad and Evans replied at once by
mail to the effect that he be rendered
a bill for all the bad eggs, and would
remit on the following mail. He heard
| nothing more of the incident Until the
constable served the warrant on him
DR.. Evans said that he informed Mr.
| Wheeler when he sold the eggs that
! he wanted him to make sure that ali
the eggs that he bought were good. for
he. Evans. did not want to sell any,
| thing that was not good.
Mr. Van DeBogart said to the T.-R
that the prosecutions for selling bad
eggs had only begun. commissioner
said Mr.. Van DeBogart, to clean up
this egg business without prosecutions,
and has had six inspectors out over the
state warning merchants about bad
eggs. We have had circulars and cards
printed and circulated among the mer-
chants, asking them to place them be-
lore the farmers instructing them as
to the consequences of bringing in bad
eggs. The effect Of this campaign has
| not been as desired, and we have con-
cluded now that the only way to clean
| up is to prosecute.
Every man offering or exposing for
sale any eggs not fit for human con-
sumption will be subject to arrest and
fine. These are iron clad instructions
given to the inspectors, and further
prosecutions here and elsewhere
throughout the state may be expect
ed
Mr.. Van DeBogart will remain in
the city few days looking up other
cases in connection with the pure food
law.