Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1903 — SOME HOP ALE SPILLED. [ARTICLE]

SOME HOP ALE SPILLED.

The Levee district was the scene of a hot time again Sunday afternoon, when an irate female went into Geo. Tanner’s restaurant and demolished some bottles which she fouud soaking in a tnb of ice water. It seems that Dave Platt had bowled up a little, whioh he frequently does, and his mother thought that he had got the booze at Tanner’s place, and she proceeded down there and smashed a few bottles and relieved her mind somewhat ere the accomodating sheriff put in an appearance ana let her out. No complaint has as yet been filed against her and probably will not be, but the deputy prosecutor filed an affidavit against Tanner and the case came up for trial Tuesday at 2 p. m., before Squire Troxell. The specific charge that was tried was that of selling Dave beer on the night of the Wallace shows here. The evidence disclosed that Dave bought two bottles of “Cream of Hops” and two lunches from Tanner’s at about ton o’clock that night, paying 25 cents per bottle for the Hop extract, for the use of his father Charlie Platt who was working in the Fisher hitch barn. Dave helped his father drink the liquid, and the old man said that while it looked like beer and tasted like beer, yet it wasn’t beer. Both said the bottles were labled “Cream of Hops.” A little later Dave got two more bottles and took home. His mother drank about two glasses from one, and Mrs. Sarah Marion, who was at the house, tasted of some of it, and both pronounced it beer and nothing else. Mrs. Platt swore that on advice of her doctor she had drank beer for the last thirty years, and that she could not be fooled or hoodwinked by any “Cream of Hops.” She told Dave it was nothing but beer, and Dave said “well, mother, you know they have to label it something else.” The old lady was very positive in her evidence and stated that on the night in question she and Mrs. Marion were in Tanner’s eating ice-cream when Dave came in after the first “lunch.” Tanner told Dave that he couldn’t have any more, that he had too much then. Dave said he wanted this for his father, and Tanner Baid if the old man wanted it, all right. Pretty soon Dave came in and got another bottle of “Hops” and another “lunch for the old man.” Soon, and before Mrs. Platt left, he came ?n the third time for another lunch “for the old man.” Aunt Jane said she then concluded “the old man” most be awful hungry and devilish thirsty. She said that one old bum would lie and seek by every means to screen a liquor dealer, hut the stuff was beer, and what she drank made her feel its effect considerably. The defense produced expert testimony to prove it was not beer. Tanner himself swore that it was “Cream of Hops,” a nonintoxicant, and that he had bought it of Dr. Kirk of Parr, who had the agenoy for the fluid in this locality. He paid $lO for six dozen bottles; didn’t know what rakeoff Kirk got. Two ex-salpon keepers, Henry Hildebrand and Cooney Kellner, Bwore that the stuff was not beer, and on the showing of expert evidence made, the Squire discharged the prisoner. Tanner is the same Geo. W. Tanner who figured in the deal with|ex-Commissioner S. A. Dowell in the Hallagan cattle rustling cases.