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15
October 30th.—H. G., fined £5 and £2 2S. costs, respecting unsound
rabbits, some whole and some cut in pieces on dishes,
marked at so much per pound, exposed for sale in Bethnal Green
Road. Money paid.
December 11th.—J. S. was again charged in respect of a large
quantity of unsound pears, exposed for sale in Brick Lane on
Sunday, November 25th. Inspector Ainley experienced great
trouble in the case, and Dr. Bate and myself were sent for. In
J. S.'s presence we sorted out all the unsound fruit, which we
seized, and he admitted that the pears were bad, and hoped we
would be very lenient with him. With the innocence of his race
however, he saw before the summons was returnable that two
previous convictions within a few months for a like offence was
somewhat awkward, and at the hearing a defence was put in on his
behalf that the fruit seized was not his, and that, in fact, he had
sold it to the man whom Inspector Ainley first saw with the barrow
in Brick Lane before he (J. S.) was sent for. The case was extraordinary,
for amongst other things at the Court three or four
witnesses all swore, in Yiddish, to this sale having taken place,
though not one of them said a word about it in Brick Lane or at
the Town Hall later. Moreover, at the Court they could neither
of them speak or understand a word of English, although on other
occasions, before and since, we have got on with business fairly well
without an interpreter. The summons was dismissed ; but I did
not let the matter rest there, and after a great deal of trouble I
found out where the first man lived, and got a summons against
him, with the result that he was fined £1 and £1 2s. costs. Money
paid.
In addition to these cases of Police Court proceedings there has
been a large quantity of unsound food removed from stalls and
places, under circumstances which did not perhaps justify summonses,
but a number of vendors were cautioned that in the event
of any unsound articles being again found in their possession, or
deposited for sale, they would be prosecuted, and no further excuse
or explanation accepted.