FLAT RIVER FRUIT STORE CHARGED
WITH SELLING SPIKED CIDER

Mike Dacurso and Sam Pipitome, proprietors of the Flat River Fruit Store, have run foul of the local option law. On Saturday Sheriff Adams arrested Sam on an information filed by Prosecuting Attorney Mathews. Positive evidence that the local option law was being violated at the Fruit Store was obtained when a glass of cider purchased there was sent to St. Louis and subjected to a chemical analysis. The chemist's report showed that the cider contained 6.55 per cent alcohol. The strongest beer contains only four per cent. Many brands of beer have much less.

On Saturday night a brawl occurred at the Fruit Store and Mike swore out a warrant for one of the men who participated in it. This was followed by two more informations being filed as the result of informations sworn out by the man whom Mike had arrested. The cases have been set for trial before Squire Ramsey on Tuesday, April 17.

The Fruit Store has become somewhat notorious as a dispensary of "spiked" cider. It is a common sight, especially on pay days, to see the store thronged with men in a more or less intoxicated condition.

Protests have been made to Mike on account of the frequency of drunks about his place of business, but it seems to have had but little effect. On one occasion, when an officer spoke to Mike about his cider, Mike replied that he would have to quit making it (the cider) so strong. Later he is said to have informed the officer that he was running his business.

When arrested Monday Mike stated that if the cider had alcohol in it he did not know it. He had been buying from the same firm all the time, he said, and had sent a bottle of his latest shipment to St. Louis to have it analyzed.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, April 13, 1917.