For Selling Diseased Meat

FOR SELLING DISEASED MEAT

"Butch" Ely Bought a Dying Cow

AND RETAILED MEAT

He Was Brought Before Justice Doty Monday to Answer to the Charge

"Butch" Ely is in trouble again. This time he has run up against the ordinance to prevent the selling of diseased or unwholesome meat. Monday afternoon George Ely, who is better known as "Butch," was arraigned in the circuit court on the charge of stealing chickens. That afternoon also he was brought before Justice Doty on complaint of City Physician Elliott Herdman.

The case has been worked up by Patrolman Ball and Deputy Sheriffs Orton Kelsey and Fred Gillen, and is the strongest case which has yet been made out against Ely, who has in times past given the officers considerable trouble.

Fred Bergman, a Superior farmer, had a sick cow. He called in Dr. Lane, the veterinary, who made his first visit April 14 and afterwards made two other visits. The cow was down all the time. On Sunday, April 26, "Butch" Ely saw the cow and told Bergman that if he didn't get rid of her the health officer from Ann Arbor would be out and arrest him for cruelty to animals. Ely said he could get $2 for the hide and would give Bergman $1 for the cow and would kill her. The offer was accepted and the cow loaded on a dray and taken to the back end of a field, where Ely killed her and took the hide. On Monday Ely went back to Bergman's and told him that he could get half a cent a pound for the meat at the rendering works and Bergman told him that he didn't have time to bother with it and Ely could have the meat. Ely took most of the hindquarters and cut rolls off the front quarters and with the heart, tongue and liver came to the city where he retailed the meat from his wagon. Much of the diseased meat was eaten. The cow had been taking drugs.

One of the purchasers of the meat was a first class cook, who knew how meat ought to act when cooking. Hugh Johnson, the restaurant man, bought 15 pounds of the meat from Ely on April 27, Monday, for $1.80, on Kit's assurance that the meat was all right. He cut a slice off of the meat immediately after purchasing it and put it on the stove. It turned green under the heat and a nasty smell came from it, says Johnson, while the meat burned freely. Johnson was too much of a cook not to know that the meat was not all right and so threw it all away and aided the officers in their work.

The penalty for the offense of selling such meat is $200 fine or six months imprisonment.

Ely's examination was set for next Monday.