No. 4.] REPORT OF DxVIRY BUREAU. 



377 



The result of the court cases in 1900 was as follows : — 



Convictions, 

 Acquittals, , 

 Nol pros, 



Total, 



144 



26 



8 



178 



Some of the cases that were lost or nol prossed resulted in 

 smoking out the party who was really guilty and in securing 

 his conviction, so that the above 34 cases are not wholly a 

 debit. Of the 26 cases lost, a few are of more than ordinary 

 interest. In the case of obstructing an officer, the offence 

 consisted in the refusal of the defendant to unlock a room in 

 his residence in Avhich imitation butter was stored. The 

 court ruled that a mere refusal to unlock a room was not an 

 obstruction, hindrance or interference, but informed us that 

 we could have broken into the room, under the law. In 3 

 cases the defence showed that the parties being tried had 

 bakeries, hence finding imitation butter in their stores did 

 not make out a jirima facie case of intent to sell. In 2 in- 

 stances the colored oleomargarine was found in the posses- 

 sion of pedlers in a city adjoining the Rhode Island line, 

 and the court held that it had a reasonable doubt as to 

 whether the imitation butter was in defendant's possession 

 with intent to sell witJiin this Coinmon wealth. 



In four cases the defence claimed that the sales took place, 

 as a matter of law, in Rhode Island, and the court held 

 that the facts presented were not inconsistent with that 

 theory. The defendant was at once complained of for 

 "taking orders for the future delivery of an imitation of 

 yellow butter," and was convicted. This, we think, is the 



