Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1909 — LAKE COUNTY FARMERS ARRESTED [ARTICLE]

LAKE COUNTY FARMERS ARRESTED

Charged In Federal Court Indictments With “Doctoring” Milk Shipped to Chicago. Hammond, Ind., May 31. —Dissatisfied with the way the officials of Lake county were carrying on the crusade against Lake county farmers for shipping milk “preserved” with formaldehyde into -Chicago, the United States officials swooped down on Lake county farmers Saturday to serve them with capiases from the United States Federal court at Indianapolis. Three farmers, said to be the wealthiest in the county, were indicted last Friday by the United States Federal grand jury at Indianapolis on the charge of doctoring their milk. Writs were served Saturday on Frank Stark, of St. John; W. E. Bruce, of Lowell, and “Mat” Klein, of Creston, by deputy United States marshall D. C. Rankin, of Indianapolis, who accepted their recognizances to appear for trial at Indianapolis in June. Since the arrest of a Hobart townßhip farmer on the charge of selling condemned tubercular cattle in Chicago after they had been inspected by State officials, inactivity had reigned in the milk crusade. Twenty other farmers shipping milk to Chicago from rural dlstrists in what is known as the creek townships, It 1b learned, had been under surveillance by Federal inspectors. Complaints continued to reach the Department of Agriculture at Washington from Chicago milk dealers that much of the Lake county milk was being “doctored” with formaldehyde. Unknown to the farmers the Government sent detectives to Lake county who obtained samples of the milk shipments trom the Monon milk train, destined for Chicago. These were sent to Government laboratories and analyzed. As a result of the anyalsis evidence was Introduced before the Federal grand jury at Indianapolis and true bills against the Lake county farmers were promptly returned. The arrest of the farmers has caused alarm in the ranks of the milk shippers, as It Is learned that evidence has been secured against other farmers that they have purchased a formaldehyde “preservative” from druggists to use in their shipments.