P.J. Cassin gets into trouble.

Roger's writing about the J.F. & J.H. Cutter whiskies, made me think about the feud and the ensuing court battle to come between Hotaling & Martin. Patrick Cassin (of Golden Plantation Whiskey fame) got himself embroiled in a similar situation between himself and N. B. Jacobs over the Rosenbaums Bitters product.

Apparently at the 1860 San Francisco Mechanics Institute Fair, P.J. Cassin displayed a case of Rosenbaums Bitters (this is documented by an article in the Sept. 8, 1860 S. F. Alta California paper). An article appeared in the May 10th, 1861 paper, stating this "NOTICE. The consequence of assertions that the undersigned was restrained from the manufacture of 'Old Dr. Rosenbaum's Bitters.' I now hereby notify the public that the Bitters manufactured by me are of a far superior quality and flavor to that class, the materials of which were exposed in a late trial in the Twelfth District Court. I am also agent for the 'London Pale Orange Bitters, ' and 'Old London Tom.' Country merchants requiring samples, can have them forwarded free of cost of transportation.

P. J. CASSIN
209 Washington street
San Francisco."

Apparently P. J. Cassin didn't learn from this incident, for on Nov. 24th, 1861 this article appeared in the paper. "Udolpho Wolfe's Schnapps.--On yesterday[23rd] an application was made in the Court of Sessions for a new trial, in the case of The People vs. P. J. Cassin, which was an indictment for selling Schnapps, having thereon counterfeit trade marks of 'Udolpho Wolfe.' The new trial was refused by the court, and final judgment was entered against the defendant. Judge Blake, thereupon, sentenced the defendant, P. J. Cassin, to pay a fine of four hundred dollars, and to be imprisoned until such fine be paid. In pronouncing sentence, Judge Blake stated that this case being the first conviction in this county for this kind of criminal offense, namely, 'the selling of goods with counterfeit trademarks thereon,' the court proposed to impose a lenient sentence, but that should subsequent cases of this character be brought to a conviction, the court would probably inflict a sentence of imprisonment in the County Jail, as authorized by the statute."

Apparently the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Francis Cassin [older brother] has a few interesting stories of his own, but for now, I'll save this segment for another time.