The San Francisco call., 1897-10-07
BAD LIQUORS,
GOOD BOTTLES
Bogus and Vile Goods
Under Foreign
Labels.
Revenue Officers Make Several
Seizures of Noxious
Drinkables.
How the Consumer Has Been Swim
died and Hoodwinked by
Dishonest Dealers.

Deputy Internal Revenue Collector
Thomas Chandler and Alec Is. Wilber-
force yesterday afternoon walked up to
the bar Of Kohnke's saloon, on the corner
of Market and Front streets, and called
for Plymouth (Engiand) gin. The pro-
prietor placed glasses and a bottle on the
counter. The bottle bore the label OF
Coates & Co.'S Plymouth Gin, and the
visitors tasted OF the liquor after having
laid 2j-cent piece on the counter. Mr..
Wilberforce spat his mouthful of gin into
the cuspidor and gasped distressfuJy.
Mr.. Chandler, who seldom drinks, and
when he does wants the best, gagged.
Then he drew aside his coat lapel, exhib-
tied his customs badge and declared him.
self 10 be a Federal officer.
The bar&eeper exhibited symptoms of
ague when Mr.. Chandler took possession
of the bottle as evidence, Mr.. Wilberforce,
who is the local agent for the English gin,
having declared that the stuff in the bottle
was some other kind.
The bottle, more than half full, was
taken TO Internal Revenue Collector
Lynch's Office and CONF pared with all un-
opened bottle of the genuine article. The
latter was colorIess or water white, while
the kohnke article was California made
and a grade above Chinese gin. Alter
the stuff has teen analy if it
be found that 1t is counterfeit
the proprietor of the saloon will be
prosecuted under the Federal statute, and
a suit will also be instituted against him
for damages for violating a copyright, the
Plymouth brand being protected by CAL
ifornian copyright.
Another firm accused OF obtaining
money by similar pretenses is lat of L. g.
Lyons & Co., SOC Jackson street. Deputy
Chandler was the avenging angel in this
case also. He lied twenty cases of
Curacao, Pousse Cafe and Swain's Orange
Bitters, London, England" The bitters
were not made in London, England, but
in San Francisco, AMI were sold as i'm.
ported goods for the purpose of deiraud-
ing the consumer. That the operation
was swindle worse than the shell game
is evidenced by the label on the Curacao.
The stuff is put up in stone jug similar
to the jug in which the imported article
is shipped. On the capsule appear the
words "OscaA Vursac." and below, as the
address OF the gentleman with the foreign
name, Amsterdam" leading the con-
sumner into the belle. that If his eyes are
10 be believed the liquor was manuiac-
tured in Amsterdam, and in no other
city. Then comes the label proper:
oscar Vursac. DistaIateur in fyne
Likuren. Dubb Orange Curacao Likeur,"
and below that presumably the place OF
manufacture, Amsterdam"
Another seizure was made at the place
of Max Blumenthal & Co., 65S Mission
street. Mr.. Chandler delivered the knock
out blow at this bunko game also He
did not do this at his own volition.
but he was directed to by Captain
Thrasher, the special agent of the
treasury. He got six dozen bottles of
Vermoutb, nine bottles OF Maraschino and
Benedictine, one dozen of Curacao and
some Irish whisky manufactured in a San
Francisco cellar and bottled in Dublin if
the label didn't lie.
The label reads as follows: