The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-01-11
DRANK PALMTREE
AND THEN DIED
Aged Tahitian Ends Life in a
Spree and Investigation Is
Being Made.

HIL0, January 4.-John Poe, a
seventy.year-old Tahitian, who had
lived for many years in this city, died
last Saturday night at his home at Pun
go, and the police suspect that the drink.
ing of adulterated liquor may nave been
the cause, SAYS the Hilo Tribune.
For some time past there has been
considerable agitation in Honolulu over
the evil effects of adulterqted liquor
sold there, and, according to Deputy
Sheriff Fetter, Poe had been drinking
some so-called Palmtree gin just before
he died, which was just the sort of
liquor which has been faxed in the
capital.
Fetter found on investigating the
case that Poe had been drinking heavi-
ly for some time past, but more par
ticularly during Saturday afternoon
when he attended luau where a couple
Of bottles of the alleged Palmtree gin,
which had been sent to tire host from
friends in Honolulu, were the piece de
resistance.
Poe, it appears, hit these bottles with
some frequency and returned to his
home at about four in the afternoon
When he arrived there he was speech
less, and he remained in this condition
until he died at ten o'clock. While it
is quite possible that the acute alcohol
ism, from which Poe is officially report
ed to have died may have been the
the result of the prolonged spree which
the deceased had INDUCED in prior to
his death, Deputy Sheriff Fetter has
sent sample of the contents of the
alleged Palmtree gin to Honolulu for
analysis in order that he may be per-
fectlv sure as to the direct cause of
DEATH
License Board Takes Action.
Were it not for the vigilance of the
Board of Liquor License Commission
ers, at least some of the good people
of Hilo would be drinking alulterated
| whisky.
The matter was brought up at the
semiannual meeting of the board which
was held at the county Offices last Fci-
day forenoon. Lyman said that he bad
read in the Honolulu papers about the
adulterated whisky which had been
found in some of the saloons there, and
he had made an investie alton on hi /,
own hook to see whether this ev'' d
extended to Hilo. He had found that
it had. He had discover I'd that IN
several places the adulterated joy vat er
was being sold. In one pace 1t was
labeled out as the proper goods, while
in others it was labeled "imitation. -
Lyman had secured samples OF this imi-
tation booze, and had sent them to
Honolulu for analysis, together with
letters to the authorities thore asking
thers what they did in similar cases.
Lyman read to the board letters
which he had received in response to
his inquiries from the Honolulu board
of liquor license commissioners, License
Inspector Fennell. and from Food Com
missioner Duncan. The board wrot e
that in cases of this kind it bad pro-
ceeded under the pure food law. Fen
nell stated that he had arrested Jap
anese who had sold the imitation whis-
ky as real whisky. and this man lad
been fined 5000. Fennell did not know
whether the adulterated stuff could be
sold when it was labeled Limitation. .
but he intended to make test case in
the near future and would then inform
the Hawaii board of the result. The
letter from the food commissioner stat
ed that the samples sent by Lyman had
been found to be imitation viii KY
He advised that in cases where such
liquor was sold, it should be so labeled
in a conspicuous manner, so that the
purchaser would know that he was buy
ing an imitation.
In answer to questions from the
other members of the board, Lyman
said that Japanese saloon was the
only one which had sold the imitation,
without having it labeled as such, but
that concern had promised to label the
stuff in accordance with the advice of
Duncan.