The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-02
UNDER A CLOUD.
Charges Made Against City Drug
gist C. L. Wagner.
His Assistant Says That Inferior Articles
Were Substituted-How the Fraud
Was Covered Up.

G. L. Wagner. who has had charge of the
apothecary department of the City and
County Hospital, is under cloud at pres
ent, and as result of an Investigation held
yesterday afternoon, his place has been de-
clared vacant.
Rumors of crookedness have been rife for
some little time, but the matter took def
mite shape on Wednesday afternoon, when
the subject was preached to Wagner by DR..
LIE Tourneux, who is responsibleifor his ap-
pointment and to whom he admitted GER
tain of the charges, but claimed that he
was really innocent Of anything wrong and
was the victim of circumstances of Pc
culiar nature.
Accordingly, it was deemed best to make
formal investigation, and with this idea
i'll view meeting of the Board of Health
was held at the office of DR.. LIE Tourneux,
which Mayor Pond presided and at which
were present Doctors Fiske, DAVIDSON, Nc
Questen and LIE Tourneux.
1t was expected that Wagner would be
present to defend himself, as DR.. Fiske had
notified him OF the meeting, but he failed
to put in an appearance. DR.. lie Tourneux
was particularly anxious for his presence
but was unable to find him. He stated that
he had dispatched messenger to Wagners
house and had telephoned repeatedly to the
hospital, but could find no trace of him. No
one had seen him at his accustomed haunts,
and despairing of locating him, they at last
decided to proceed without him.
THE ASSISTANT TEsTIFIEs.
Henry Day, the assistant druggist at the
| City and County Hospital, was presented to
| the board and was asked to make state
ment. He said that it was with reluctance
that he had consented to do so, but felt that
| it might save him future trouble or at least
serious embarrassment. He had been for
several months aware of what was going
| on, but for various reasons-which he did
| not make exactly clear-had hesltated about
| making 1t public.
He asserted that during his period of
| service at the hospital invoices of goods
were repeatedly short and that goods had
| been taken from the shelves to make good
| the shortage. He believed, according to
his statement, that there was a deliberate
COLLISION between Wagner and Edward
Baxter, city salesman for Langley &
| Michaers, and that as result of this the
| city had been defrauded of about $50
month.
- In order to make good this amount"
continued the witness, Substitution Of
drugs was resorted to. In this way NOR
phlne was used instead of cOdeia, and chin
conida was given to patients when quiEine
had been prescribed by the attendant ply
stefan. In making up, for instance,
seventy-two-ounce mixture, which called
Tor 200 grains of codeia, only eighty grains
would be used, thus saving about 81 90 on
each mixture. To make up Cor the codeia,
however, twenty grains OF morphine would
be substituted for the 100 grains of codeia."
The witness also affirmed that he had
known six ounces of codeia to be short in
invoices in single month, which at So an
ounce aggregated $50, which some one must
have had the benefit of, as it was paid for
10y the city. In addition to this there was a
shortage of about two pounds of iodoform a
month, worth 81 pound. Sub-nitrate of
bismuth, he stated, often fell short OF the
amounts called for in the invoices.
COVERING UP THE FRAUD.
The witness alleged that Wagner had
unique way of covering these things up by
the use of empty bottles and by taking
goods from the shelves. This was easily
accomplished. as Steward Bell, whose duty
it is to do the checking, seldom attended to
it, Until three or four hours after the drugs
had been delivered; and this, he claimed,
gave Wagner an opportunity to cover up
any shortage that might exist
This was done, witness claimed, in the
matter OF the codeia, by placing a number
OF empty bottles kept for that purpose with
the goods delivered, and the steward, who
did not make close examination, would
not discover the difference. When this was
not done, he asserted that goods already in
stock were taken from the shelves, and
thus the matter was overlooked.
Mr.. Day then stated that the city was
made to pay for Marburg's mixture of
which considerable quantities are prescribed
and that none is received from the drug
house. Instead cheap mixture was man.
ufactured at the hospital and substituted
for the genuine, the difference being dis
guised by Initiating the label as closely as
possible
The genuine mixture is very expensive,
costing 81 80 pint, while that substituted
cost comparatively little Witness stated
that the shortages all occurred on Langley
q MichaePs invoices. Wakelee did, he be-
lieye, send out goods which were not up to
the standard once Or twice, but Wagner
always compelled him to make it good.
Continuing Mr.. Day testified that he had
been told By Wagner a few months ago-he
could not remember the date-to dispose of
number of empty whisky barrels and to
keep the money. He sold them for 50 So
but refused to appropriate the amount to
his own use.
LEGITIMATE PERQUIsITE.
Wagner" said he, assured me that l
was entitled to the money, as it was one of
the legitimat perquisites of the druggist,
and as my salary was small, he desired me
to have it. l refused in the presence of DR..
Holmes TO retain the money, as 1 did not
feel that 1t was rightfully mine. He tried
several times to force it on me. but l in
variably refused it."
What was finally done with it?" asked
Mayor Pond.
That L cannot say" was the reply.
MIR. Day was then submitted to a cross
examinatl on, of which the following is the
substance:
Did the attendant physicians know that
their Patients were being given morphine
instead of codeia?"
They did not"
AT the time chinconida was used in
stead OF qninine, was it possible to obtain
the lattcr?'
I'VE had it in stock"
Was the substitution made with the
physicians knowledge?"
Not that am aware Of"
AT what time was this?
During the la grippe epidemic"
Dld you know of what was being
done?
- could not well avoid knowing it, just
after the Healy investigation | was sent
with a note from Wagner to Baxter, which
was frst shown 10 me and which was in
substance:
Dear Ed: We had better stand from under
lining Things are looking decidedly squaliy out here
Just now l think 1t would De better for the
ofuer 10 go 10 another house next time
This was signed by Wagner"
Dr. LIE Tourneux then ssked:the witness
why the other firms in the city had failed to
DID and the witness replied that he was
told that they did not consider it legitimate
competition. They believed that Something
was crooked.
THE PLACE DECLARED VACANT
DR.. LIE Tourneux then,stated to the board
that as MIR. Wagner was appointed at his
suggestion, he would state that while he
could not defend his conduct, il the charges
were proven, he would state that Wagner
had gone to him and had explained that he
had seen Reddington & Co. and urged them
TO make bid. They did SO, but failed to
secure the award. He Informed the Chair
that Wagner had admitted substituting
drugs, but claimed that 1t was because Qui-
nine could not be obtained becau SO of the
snow blockade.
He moved, however, that the posIti on be
declared vacant, which was carried unani-
mously, and the charges were then referred
to the Finance Committee of the board for
investigation. the result to be reported to
the proper authorities.