The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-31
HARCIS IN COURT
Topeka Druggist Admits Sell
ing Jamaica Ginger.
Was Warned Before Arrest Was
Made, Officials Say.
SOLD To Many CUSTOMERS
william Barrel Says He
Bought SIS Worth.
Hargis Never Asked Him Why
He Wanted 1t, He Says.

Charged with violation of the liquor
law, Art Hargis, Topeka druggist,
plead guilty before Judge Robert d.
Carver in the first division of the dis
trict court to one of the twelve counts
held against him by Hugh Fisher,
county attorney. The balance of the
counts were dismissed and sentence
deferred. Hargis's alleged crime was
that of selling tincture of Jamaica gin
ger, L. S. p. containing "a per cent
alcohol, for other than medicinal pur-
poses.
The county attorney received COM
plants concerning Hargis about
month ago, at which time he called
him into his office, Informed him that
has action was violation of the liquor
laws and warned him that If the Of
Tense was repeated it would be neces-
sary to place him under arrest About
two weeks later Charles Morris was
| arrested while under the influence OF
Jamaica ginger and signed an affida-
Wit stating that he had bought the
stuff from Hargis. The druggist de-
MED the statement of Morris
Arrest Grew Out of Another Case.
The arrest of Hargis Wednesday aft
ernoon grew out of the preliminary
| charged with stealing $3.50 from
julius Larsen, bricklayer VINO
| roomed over the Hargis drug store at
935 Kansas avenue, on the evening OF
| October 13. Larsen testified that
| Walter Hupp. William Barrel, Cap"
| ingalls, and Emery Felker were his
guests that afternoon, but that>before
they arrived mice looking young fell
ler.' who at that time worked in the
| Stag pool hall, brought up a quart Of
whisky and departed. That evening,
Larsen said, he gave ingalls, Sc, tell
| ing him to get another quart, but In
gals never returned. Earsen's COM
| pany left and just as he was about to
retire, he says. ingalls, came in and
offered him a drink, but told him that
Hupp and >Barret had drunk up the
quart he was sent after. After Ingalls,
had gone. Larsen said, he noticed that
his pocketbook, which had laid on the
| table. had disappeared.
Ingalls,, for his defense. testified that
he was so drunk that night that he
could not have taken the pocketbook-
Walter Hupp, Barrel and Paul Lewis,
who, it developed. was the nice
| looking young feller," were witnesses
at the hearing and it was revealed that
at least one of the party was drunk
on Jamaica ginger. Eventually, four
men confessed to the county attorney
| that they had bought Jamaica ginger
| from Art Hargis. 80. -,. .n.
Earret Bought Many Eottles.'
Barrett, in an affidavit signed by
| him, states that he has bought within
| the last thirty days at least SIS worth
| of Jamaica ginger from Art Hargis in
| 81 bottles; that he was never asked
| by Art Hargis whether or not the gin
ger was being used for medicinal 'pur-
| poses, but simply asked for ginger and
paid his money and got it. Affiant
was there so frequently, he said, that
| Hargis would go back and get a bottle
for affiant and take his 81 without
| asking him What he wanted.
Charles Morris said he had bought
Jamaica ginger from Hargis at least
| twelve times and turned at least a
dozen bottles over to Hugh Fisher
| Larsen said ne had bought several
| times and Walter Hupp at least twice
All this after Fisher had given Hargis
| the first warming.
| Ingalls,. on the witness stand Tues
| day, testified that Larsens story was
wrong and that the quart of liquor
was in Larsen's room when he arrived
| there. Paul Lewis subSta inflated the
story but apparently thinking better
of it later, signed an affidavit for the
county attorney stating that he had
met ingalls, the day of the trial and
that ingalls, had prevailed upon him to
tell that story in order to save him
! ingalls,, from the charge of having
liquor in his possession. The facts
! were, he said, that ingalls, told him
that the liquor was in the wash room
of the Brunswick pool hall and asked
| him to get it and take it to Larsen's
room, which he says he did just as
Larsen had told.
| Fisher said today that Ingalls, would
be given an opportunity to confess to
la mlsdemeanor, in which case he
would not be tried on felony charge