The Caucasian., 1913-05-20
THE NAR0t'N CASE.
Conviction Secured on Direct and
Unimpeachable Evidence - FIRST
and Second Trials.

Which Is The greater, the DOo,-
logger or the law?
If the boolleggcr, then dump tn"
law books into the Red and close w
The "tcmplc Of justice"
IT were better that all the boot
lcggcrs and all the law-brcakcrs es-
cape than thai The law should be
4 farce.
It is not the intent Of the Caucas-
ian to reflect on the courts of JUS
ticc. nor to indulge in personalities,
nor to appear as a prosecutor or
prosecutor, but there are circum-
stances and some facts so very plain
as to need ne argument or electric
light for display, OF which the cVi-
dcnce in The MaEoun case is a sam-
pie.
The Maroun case having aroused
the kcenCst Of the laW-abiding cit
izens for information, it follows
that recital of This evidence is in
order.
The evidence in substance is:
On February II, 1913, Commits
sioner FulIilove entered Barney
A'Brantes' combined grocery store
and near beer joint on Texas avenue
near Jordan street. He had shortly
before seen a keg of beer Cor near
beer) delivered there Just as he en-
tered the negro bartender, Piggy
Watts, was delivering glass of
beer to a negro woman in the from!
part Of the store. He took the beer,
made Watts wash bottle clean,
placed it in same and had it ana
lyzed by both Or. Butler and Mr..
Railsback. He examined the prem
iscs and found one keg Of beer on
tap only This had Houston Ice and
Brewing Company's'' name carved
(or burned) into the wood. A label
on the floor of the ice box al the
side of the keg. ABranlcs was asleep
in front of the store when ne en-
tered, but was aroused.
ABrantes testified that he sent
his porter to Joe Maroun's place to
get keg of "Hiawalha:" that he
went out and shorty after returned
with the keg from which the beer
was taken.
Piggy" Watts, the negro porter,
testified that he took small deliv-
cry wagon and went to Joe Maroun's
place on Southern avenue and
bought the keg. paying 81 for same,
from negro, who was apparently
employed there; that he asked for
"Hiawatha' and got keg with the
"Hiawatha' label ON it, which he
produceddn court. This was the
same beer gotten by Commissioners
Fulilove.
Other testimony showed that Joe
Maroun was the agent of The Hous-
ton Ice and Brewing Company, and
that the analysis showed it was in
taxicating.
The defense was Maroun, who tes-
tilted that he sold only "Hiawatha"
and that it is a near beer.
The evidence in the second trial
was as in the first.
Bearing on this case is the report
of the Journal of March IL, the day
of the first trial:
''The case of the city against Joe
Maroun, accused of violating the
prohibition law by selling real beer
instead of 'Hiawatha,' was heard be-
fore Judge Blanchard in the City
Court "Wednesday forenoon. Assist
ant City Attorney Scarborough rep
resented the prosecution and Attor-
new w. H. Scheen appeared for the
defendant.
-Four WITNESSES testified for the
city, including Commissioner S. C.
Fullilove, City Chemist w. p. But
Ter, Barney A'Brantes and a negro
named Watts. The story was told by
Commissioner Fulliloye when he tes-
titled that he went to ABrantes'
place on the nth of February and
found the negro porter, Watts, serv-
ing class Of stuff to a negro wom-
an. He took sample of the bever-
age, and had it analyzed by City
Chemist Butler, who found that it
contained 3.i2 per cent alcohol. The
city chemist testified to the amount
of alcohol. A'Brantes and his negro
porter declared the beer came from
Maroun's place, being purchased by
the negro porter from negro
working at Maroun's place on Sou
thern avenue.
For the defense Maroun was the
only witness, entering general de-
nlal. He said he did not make the
sale, that he only handled 'Hiawa-
tha,' and if any real beer was found
at the A'Brantes place it was Sc
cured somewhere else. Maroun is
agent for the Houston Ice and