Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-05
ADULTERATED DR. g GS
SENT THROUGH THE MAILS By
CLEVER swINDLERs.
How the Business Was Broken Up
and Operators Punished
Profits over 800 Per Cent.

The inspector in charge of the New Or
leans division Of post office inspectors re-
Gently reported to the Post Office Depart
rent the arrest and successful prosecution
of three clever criminals who for some
time had been using the mails in scheme
to defraud various druggists throughout
the country Their scheme while unique,
was dangerous AS the German Chemical
Company" the Berlin Trading Company,
and other aliases, David B. Conner, ST.,
David B. Conner, jr., and John Ebert King,
advertised that they would furnish drug
gists at reduced prices the genuine coal
tai products" phenacetine, sulfonal, etc.
manufactured, packed and labeled by the
well-known firm of Bayer & Co. of Fiber
field Germany. They represented that they
were direct importers, and that the goods
sent cut by them through the mails Were in
the original packages used by Bayer & Co.
in Germany. Druggists receiving ounce or
pound packages of .'Phenacetine- Bayef
from the German Chemical Company or
the Berlin Trading Company might posi-
bly, notice that TIE labels were similar TO
those supplied the trade in Canada, but the
physical appearance OF the contents was
that of the genuine. Without hesitation,
therefore, the preparations received from
the German Chemical Company or the Ber-
lin Trading Company were placed IN the
prescription case to answer all the uses
of pure phenacetlne, etc. as prescribed by
the family physician
Before long, however, complaints were
received that the preparations supplied by
these concerns orders from druggists
were not pure, but adulterated and it was
claimed that the Phenacetine-B ayer,"
''SuIfonal-Bayer,' ETC., mailed by said COM
panies to druggists as having been imported
from Germany in the original packa yes
and under the labels of the real manufae-
turing chemists were not only vicious adul-
terations, but that they were put up by the
fhnfa al n inv md tha Rnr1fr
Trading Company in New Orleans and that
the labels were printed in that city Com
plant was further made that these adul-
terations, when administered on the sup
lions, as labeled, were dangerous, affect
ing the heart, producing poison in the sys-
TEN, and In some cases death.
Had No Known Place of Business.
This German Chemical Company rented a
box in the post Office at New Orleans, but
had no known place of bu5iness, nor did
it appear who was receiving the mail adj
dressed to the company. Test letters were
employed to develop evidence of their
scheme and practice. Remittances were
sent them, APPARENTLY by retail druggists
accompanied by orders for Phenacetine-
Bayer, etc. In response thereto several
packages were received from them
through the mails. The boxes In the pack
ages were lOuld ~ Dc idDctcu Us IL pdCkeQ
and shipped by the German chemists from
Elberfield Germany. and 10 contain white
powder resembling pure phenacetine A
chemical analysis showed that the powder
purporting to be genuine phenacetino was
a mixture of phenacetine and harmful
adulterant. in nearly equal parts. The la
bells were counterfeit, but exact fac-similes
of those furnished by Bayer & Company
from Germany TO the trade in Canada.
BY this means the identity of the par
ties operating under the name of the Ger
man Chemical Company" etc., was dis.
covered. their quarters located, and theyS
were Swallowed from the post Office after
receiving mali from the post Office box
and observed to enter low, mean-looking
house in the ..old French quarter of the
city The doors were kept locked all the
time, and there was nothing about the
premises TO indicate the business or Office
Of the German Chemical Company
Warrants were issued, the place raided.
and the two Corners. who constituted the
German Chemical Company. were found
therein end placed under arrest. Ir- this
dirgy place the company's business was
transacted behind locked doors admission
| being obtained only after ringing the belr'