The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-23
THEY FOUND SHAM BUTTER
Experience of Deputy Internal Reve-
nue. Collector at the Insane Hospital.
He and an Expert Discover that Oleomargar-
inc Was Supplied to Patients, When the
Contract Calls for the Best Creamery.

Hospital after ali has been said about the prac-
tice OF substituting that article for fancy
creamery butter. for which the contracts for
supplying that institution call The trustees
had bid not long ago for oleomar aarine AZ l6
cents per pound, and with it they were offered
the opportunity of taking fancy creamery at 20
cents per pound. They overlooked these pro-
posals and contracted with John II.
Sullivan for fancy creamery at the price given.
Alfred P. Lee, who has knowledge of the but
ter business and is interested in il. heard that
oleomargarine was being supplied to the hos
pitaI He undertook 20 investigate the matter.
and his discoveries and experiences In that con-
nection were related to Journal reporter last
night To the facts, as he has stated them, Mr..
Lee has made affidavit in presenting them to the
Civil.service Reform Association
Il had been satisfied" he said. '.fof long
time that olsomarearine was being regularly
sold to the Insane Hospital under the contract
to furnish irst-class creamery butter. and on
Saturday, the 14th of this month"; John NJ
McGinnis, deputy internal revenue collector, and
myself concluded to visit the hospital investi-
gate the matter. We left the city together
about $50 o'clock. and went out in buggy
When we reached til . hospital Mr. McGinnis went
in first, and left me hitching the horse. When
got to the kitchen I found McGinnis
and Mr.. Hyde. the assistant storekeeper for the
institution, standing over pan filed with but
ter. Mr.. McGinnis told me to examine the ar
ticle, which l did, carefully. and / told him it
was o1eomargerine. The deputy collector then
asked Mr.. Hyde if he had any more of the same
quality of butter and he said there were more
tubs in the ice chest McGinnis replied that he
would like to see them. Hyde objected, on the
ground that Hail. the storekeeper, was not pres
emit; that he had gone to the city, and that he
did not feel at liberty to exhibit the stores
in hi absence. Mr.. McGinnis then stated that
he was government officer-a deputy collector
of internal reyenue--and would have TO see the
butter He also told Hyde if he did not desire
TO take the responsibility of exhibiting the but
ter to give him the keys to the ice-chest and be
would make the investigation himself. Hyde
said that if MIR. Mc7innis was government
officer he would show him the way. and he took
20 the chest and rolled out tub marked pure
butter. McGinuis made the test first and pro-
nounced it oleomargarine I folio we'd him and
confirmed his statement. for there wa 70 doubt
about it being oeomargarine. When thattuo had
been tested, McGinnis asked il there was any
more in the chest. and four more tubs were
rolled ont, making in all five. The four tubs
were tested and found TO contain the same quail
ity of oeomargarine as that in tta first tub
and the quantity in the pan. The tess las made
carefully. Mr. McGinnis first running the
fryer or tester into the keg. would hand it Co
me. We agreed on the five tubs. and Mr. Hyde
said that there WAS no other butter IN the lnsti-
tuition"
Were any other tests nader the reporter
asked.
after we had finished our test with fryer
McGinnis remarked, now | will try one tnat
has never failed ma yet, and he took up - lump
of the alleged butter and rubbed it between his
fingers, and then smelt of it. After he had fin
ished he remarked 4 can't be fooled on that;
1t Is oleowsrearine; smell the tal1ow.
eel have heard said Mr.. Hyde, some people
around the hospital say they would rather eat
oleomarRarne than butter
tg 81 RHAkh ar
oleomareerine tastes well or not retorted Mt
DcGinnis 1t is the man who is furnishing 1t !,
after. His contract calls for pure cream
cry butter. and be is furnishing oleom argarine
without labelling it. and without paying the tax
as required by the government
''McGinnis asked to the tubs that had
been emptied. and Hyde said there were none,
or that thoy were always sent back to the city as
fast they were empty McGnnls then placed
his label on ali the kegs We had examined and
told Mr. HYDE that they must not be empt1ed. or
disturbed. AS they had been seized by the gov
eminent Hyde said that there would be no
butter for dinner If the instructions were car
ried out, and after arguing the question q bit
DR. McGinnis consented that the oleomargarine
in the broken tub might be used, but that the
tubs must he saved He directed that the
broken tubs should not be disturbed He told
Hyde he would go hack to the CITY, and would
send out wagon for the confiscated tubs dur
ing the afternoon. After everything had been
arranged for going back to the city Mr.. McGia-s
mis- asked Mr. Hyde who furnished he butter.
John E. Sullivan, replied Mr.. Hyde.
''Do yeu mean Sullivan or Buddf asked Nc
Ginnis.
ri mean Sullivan. 1 know him we'll and his
men, and know they are bringing ali the butter
here now
..McGinnis and myself then came back to the
city. On the road naek be talked freely about
the case be would make against sullivan. and
remarked that he would have trouble with
Bailey when no undertook to prosecute
the case A great many other things were
said that neei not be repeated now. When we
reached the city | got ont of the buggy at the
postoffice and went TO my place of business
went to dinner, and when came back down
town at o'clock l started from Mr.. Jordan's
commission house TO the government building
to see what the result of Mr.. McGnnis's test
was he told me he would make a chemical
analysis soon as he reached his ofice. When
was about half way TO the postof1ce building
Mr.. Sutton. our book -keepe-. overlook me, and
said that Mr.. McGinnis was at the store waiting
to see When got back I found Mr. Nc
Ginnis there. and in the presence of Mr..
Jordan and Mr. Sutton / said to him: How
did your analysis RESULT
1T is oleomargerine.' said he. Il was conf
dent IL was as soon as saw 1t, but the analysis
had TO be made in accordance with the rules of
the government There was some further con-
versation, aud he said he would send the result
of the analysis to MIR. Hunter. at Lawrence
burg. and Immediately take steps 20 prosecute
Mr. Sullivan. This all TRANSFERRED on Saturday.
On Monday went up to the revenue Office, aud
not finding Mr.. McGinnis there I asked
Mr.. Wadsworth what had been done with the
oleomargarine case. He said Mr.. McGinnis had
called in couple of grocery keepers. and they
had pronounced 1t good butter. asked him il
he knew whether not the butter submitted to
them the same we had brought IN from the
Insane Hospital He said be did not know. 1
told him it did not make any difference what the
grocery keepers said, knew the stuff was oleo-
margarine He replied that he had examined il
and he thought so, too. ( asked HIM TO show
me the samples. and he said MIR. Nc
Ginnis had taken them away / hunted MP
the tester we had used, and found it cleaned
and wrapped no in paper There were many
other things connected with the matter that /
could relate. but the ones have given cover all
the principal points,"
Arthur Jordan and Mr.. Sutton, his book
keeper, corroborate Mr. Lees statement to the
effect that McGinnis said at Mr. Jordan's place
that his chemical test showed that the article
was oleomargarine The CIvil-service Associa-
ton will prepare the papers regarding this mat
ter and have them submitted 80 the Senate COM
mistee which is examining the civil service.
Afraid og the Aldermen