Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-16
A BIG WHISKY SwINDLE.
The Poorest Kind Of stuff Immediately
Transferred Into the Best Liquor.

Ir8n>IcrreU into the IteSt LIQUOR.
How A CLEVER YOUNG MAN Has OPERATED N
cH1cAeo-ExrESsTvE DEALERS WE'RE RoPED
IN AND A LABORATORY WAS TO BE BUILr-
HOW A DETECTIVE GOT on TO HIS GAME.
CHICAGO, May l6.-0ne Of the biggest swim
dies of the year has just been brought TO light
Western liquor men have been mulcted 20 the
tune of $500 600, and a bright young chemist
named Camp is now living IN luxury far away.
Mr.. John Archibald Camp came 20 Chicago If
teen months ago and put up at the Cosmopol-
itan hotel Among his effects we're two large
trunks and small refrigerator He seemedto
have plenty of money. and ii was noticed that
the Wholesale liquor dealers were among his
visitors. MIR. Camp claimed 90 have discov-
cred a compound which. when mixed with new
whisky, would give il the odor. taste and APP
pearance OF from to 6-year-old high wine.
Under his manipulation the poorest quality OF
wet goods" became smooth" and the entire
process was exemplifed
IN THE PRESENCE or THE VICTIM.
Mr.. Camp wished 10 establish a stock COM
pany with a paid-up capital of $1,000 0OO The
profits would be enormous. He refused 10 di-
vulge what the compound he used consisted of.
The ingredients were known only to him. He
managed to rope IN many victims and finally
rented an Office in the Htna block. at Jackson
conducted his business In his room was the
refrigerator referred to. The victim would be
given bottle, told to so out and have il filed
with poor quality of whisky and return.
When this had been done Mr.. Camp would pour
out one-half of IL. put in a teaspOonful OF his
compound, fill the bottle with water. and then
place II in the refrigerator. All tins Was done
with the victim carefully observing every
move. He looked into the ice-boX and saw that
1t was empty save the bottle just placed IN IL
No., a 4 4
or ten minutes would raise II and there was
what appeared TO be the same bottle filed with
liquor which withstood every test applied TO
rare, old high wines.
IT WAS WONDERFUL.
Whisky which could be purchased at 81. 30 per
gallon in ten minutes time became six wears
old and worth - per gallon The Electric
sugar refining process dwindled into insignfi-
cance compared with MIR. Camps scheme.
Many prominent dealers invested and plans
were drawn up for the erection of laboratory.
tective to investigate Mr.. Camps methods.
The detective had no difficulty in becoming an
intimate acquaintance of Camp and often wit
messed the ice-box Transformation. and began
to believe the process Was bona fide.
Camp finally got so bold that he would age"
liquor without the refrigerator and did so
several times in west side saloons, the method
being the same except that he would step into
an inner room to put in an ingredient known
only to himself
Not long since the detective entered Mr..
Camps while he was asleep and found there
WHAT LOOKED LIKE TIN ARMoR.
Itwould reach from the waist TO the arm-pits
At the bottom was a small faucet. The armor
was hollow and contained high-grade of
whisky. The detective awakened Camp and
taxed him with the fraud. lie owned up and
offered 10 take the detective into partnership
with him. Ii was agreed to and then Camp ex-
planned the whole trick. The refrigerator had
false bottom and an ingeniously arranged
trap. When bottle of poor whisky WAS set in
on the trap by pressing a spring a bottle OF
the best whisky would be substituted. and the
mechanism of the affair was so perfect that
there was little chance of detection. The Use
of armor was TO provide whisky for an exchange
when he did the trick without the aid of the
box. Mr.. Camp informed the detective that he
had worked Kansas City for $4,000 in three
weeks. and that nothing could be done to him
because those who invested in his scheme knew
II was
CASE OF DEFRACDING THE GOVERNMENT.
1t is also stated that the enterprising young
man has sold more than 100000 worth of stock
in Cincinnati. st. Louis. kansas City and Chi
cago.
The detective reported his discovery TO his
employers, and they to the Federal authorities
Camp. however, must have got tip, for he dis
appeared. leaving his apparatus behind, where
it is now at the Cosmopolitan. Many promi-
nent salOon-keepers and wholesale liquor deal
ers were interviewed. and while admitting that
| they had been approached by a party who
claimed to be able to age whisky, denied that
| they had invested IN the scheme