70 ANNUAL REPORT OP THE Off. Doc. 



"It is the wish of this Department that these cases should be tried as promptly 

 as possible. Will you kindly let me know when thej' will appear on the list, 

 so we may make our preparations to have the evidence ready and may, if neces- 

 sary, have attorneys present who can aid you with their knowledge of the 

 cases and possibly suggestions? 



"These cases have, in the past few months, been the cause of several un- 

 pleasant editorials in certain newspaper^. By having them speedily disposed 

 of by the court, we can avoid a repetition of such unjust criticism. 



"Very truly yours, 

 "(Signed) "B. H. WARREN, M. D., 



"Commissioner. 

 To. Hon. John C. Bell, District Attorney, Philadelphia." 



The appended reply fully explains the conditions as they exist in 

 the courts of the county of Philadelphia : 



"District Attorney's Office, 

 "Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 15, 1904. 



"Dr. B. H. Warren, Commissioner, Department of Agriculture, Dairy and Food 



Division, Harrisburg, Pa.: 



"Dear Sir: I have your favor of the 30th uit., requesting a speedy trial of 

 tiie cases of the Commonwealth vs. Carl Lampe, Dennis McGowan, James F. 

 Shannon, William Wallace, Charles W. Soulas and John F. Betz & Sons, for 

 the alleged sale of beer reported by your chemist to be adulterated. In these 

 cases the indictments were only found by the grand jury at the December term 

 of court, with the exception of the case against John F. Betz & Sons, which, 

 though returned by the magistrate, has not yet, I believe, been acted upon by 

 the grand jury. 



"In reply, I beg to say, that I will put these cases upon the list and try them 

 in due course, as soon as reached. I am obliged to say to you, however, that 

 unless there is some special and urgent reason requiring an immediate dispo- 

 sitiOH of these cases, I shall not be likely to be able to try the same for a con- 

 siderable lapse of time, perhaps several months. 



"Ih spite of my best efforts to expedite the disiiosition of the criminal business, 



there are now over four thousand untried indictments in this county, and I find 



it difficult, if not impossible, to keep abreast of the work of the grand jury. 



I 

 "Your cases, therefore, unless there be exceptional reasons as above noted, 



must await their turn. Regretting the necessity for the delay, I am 



"Yours truly, 



"(Signed) "JOHN C. BELL, 



"District Attorney." 



