Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1914-12-14
TURKISH BATTLESH|P SUNK RY
BRITISH; AUSTR|ANS LOSE z
TORPEDO BOATS, SUNK BY MINES
V|ND|CAT|ON FOR
SP|TzER IN CASE
Of HEALTH BOARD

By submitting to a judgment for
the defendant without costs in the
New Brunswick district court today,
the Board of Health exonerated Sig
mund Splitter, proprietor of the Cen
trail hotel at State and Smith streets,
of the charge that he sold a bottle of
cognac containing methyl or wood IL
cohol during the first part Of October.
Emil Stremlau counsel for the
Board of Health stated this morning
the board wanted to entirely vindi-
cate Mr.. Splitter and was willing to
write him an apology for prosecuting
him on the above stated charge.
The failure of the prosecution to
continue the case followed an analy-
sis of part Of the contents of the bot
tie of cognac made by the State
Board of Health which was received
this morning. The state chemists
found no wood alcohol in the bever-
age. Following the receipt of a
communication bearing this fact, Mr..
Stremlau consulted Stephen F. Somo-
gyi, representing the defendant, and
agreed to a judgment being entered
for the defendant, which agreement
was signed by both attorneys this
morning. The following letter con-
cerning the analysis made by the
state board was received this morn
ing by Mr.. Stremlau and Health Of
ficer Willsey:
Laboratory of Hygiene of the
State of New Jersey,
Trenton, Dec. IL, 1914,
Emil Stremlau, Counselor at Law,
145 Smith St.,
Perth Amboy, N. J.
Dear Sir
The sample Of alcoholic liquor
which you brought to the laboratory
on November 80 and delivered to Mr..
Denny and myself for the purpose of
having it tested for the presence OF
methyl or wood alcohol, has now
been analyzed.
AS complete an analysis as was
possible with the limited amount Of
material has been made, as result
of which no wood alcohol could be
detected.
In arriving at this conclusion the
sample has been examined In ac-
cordance with the method of Scudder
and Riggs, a method which We have
found through considerable expert
ence in this laboratory to give very
reliable results. The Richie and Bar
dy method has also been employed
and negative results obtained. This
method is one adopted by the Associ-
alton Of Official Agricultural Chem
lists.
Independent analyses were made
by Mr.. Denny and myself and the
same conclusions were arrived at.
A copy of this report is also being
sent to Mr.. Willsey, Health Officer,
Perth Amboy.
Very truly yours,
WILLIAM G. TICE,
Chief Chemist"
The case In the New Brunswick
district court followed prosecution OF
Mr.. Splitter on the same charge be-
fore Recorder Pickersgill. The re-
corder held that the action was in
the wrong court and dismissed the
case. Proceedings wero Immediately
started by Mr.. Stremlau in the New
Brunswick district court, and several
hearings held. Carl Hegstrom, of
the Board of Health, testified that his
analysis had shown wood alcohol to
be in the contents of the bottle OF
cognac. Gilbert Sell, another chem
list, corroborated him. DR.. Harvey
Sell, formerly president of the health
board, and considered an eminent
chemist, could not be located to testi-
fly at the district court proceedings,
though he swore that according to
his analysis there was wood alcohol
in the beverage when he testified in
the first case before the recorder. The
defense and prosecution were both
allowed to take samples of the con-
tents of the bottle, and Mr.. Somogyi
had 1t analyzed by several eminent
chemists. Among those who anal
yzed the contents and declared they
found no wood alcohol were Prof.
George Ferguson, of the New York
Board of Health; Herbert Baldwin,
for twenty years chief chemist of the
Newark Board of Health; r. W.
Bailey and G. Swanson, Of Silver &
Gliding, analytical chemists, of New
York.