The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-10-15
DEADLY STUFF IS
SOLD As WHISKY
tFrom Thursdays Advertiser,


Honolulu under the guise of whisky.
Some of the stuff is labeled imitation
or artificial whisky and is sold as such,
but in other instances fearsome con-
coctions are being dispensed without
any pretense at explaining the true
nature Of the product.
1t is charged that fusel-oil in large
quantities is being used to make up
the mixture that passes muster as
whisky in the cheap saloons. Fusel'
oil is the volatile oil formed in the
distillation of certain kinds of whisky
and its chief legitimate use is in the
manufacture of horse liniments. This
oil is rank poison and taken even in
small quantities produces headaches,
unnatural thirst and other disagreed
BILE symptoms.
In the manufacture of certain of the
imitation WHISTLES, this oil is added in
order to supply the whisky effect.
Alcohol, of varying purity, supplies the
Intoxicating element, burned sugar
furnishes the color, and sundry other
wonderful elements mixed up make the
finished compound.
Wholesale and Retail.
Where this mixture is sold by reputa
BILE wholesalers, and there are some
wholesalers generally classed as reputa
BILE who are dispensing the stuff, the
barrels are labeled in such a way as
to make it plain that the genuine dis
titled article is not within. But in the
low-class saloons that infest certain
parts of the city this stuff is being
served as bar whisky, with the result
that the patrons of the resorts in ques
ton are fed almost pure poison.
Carries Death With It.
Several deaths that have followed
prolonged sprees have been directly
traceable to the imitation whisky
procured from low class saloons. Once
a man becomes intoxicated from drink
ing the imitation whisky, there is nj
telling where he will end up. TIL,
great performance of fusel.oil pro
vides a thirst Of ever increasing in
tensity, while the impure alcohol goad
| the unfortunate one into all sorts O.
excuses.
AS long as the mixture is sold a
imitation whisky there seems to b,
scant opportunity for the officials t,
get hold of the dispensers. Unde
rectifer's licenses almost any mixtur,
short of quick poison can be sold, ant
once the stuff leaves the reetifer i
is pretty hard to make certain tina
the shuttle.
Authorities Act.
A quantity of this stuff, drawn from
case marked imitation whisky, wa
sold to spotter of the authoritie
Tuesday, MS pure whisky. The ma
went in with demijohn, ordered tw
and half gallons of whisky, paid owe
his money, got the goods and left. Al
officer watching nearby stepped inside
seized the demijohn and. the barrel
sealed them both and carted then
away.
When asked last night concerning tn
occurrence, Inspector Fennell decline,
to deny or confirm the story. He ad
mitted however, that he is on the tIai
of wholesalers who are losing sight o
the necessity for placing the wort
imitation upon goods that are no
what they purport to be.
1t is understood that the seized AM
sealed samples are in the hands of tn
territorial chemist and that thoroug
analysis is being made to determine tn
actual composition of the mixture dis
pensed.
Worse Than Swipes.
Much complaint has been made con
corning the manufacture of what
known as swipes. This is made Target
by the Japanese and Hawaiians, an
those who drink it at least know wha
they are getting. The imitation whisk
is manufactured by men who make
pretense of carrying on legitimat
business, and is purchased by person
who believe that they are getting tn
real distilled article.
In times past there have been charge
of adulteration of case goods, bottle
in bond. These goods carry the lab,
of the United States which is suppose
to be guarantee Of purity. In man
cases the label has been about the onl
evidence of purity connected with tn
stuff.
A very ingenious trick is worked !
doctoring this bonded whisky. Tw
hollow needles are driven down into tn
cork, and through one of these the cor
tents of the bottle IL sucked out Will
the other serves as an air inlet. Whe
two'thirds or threequarters of the col
tents of the bottle has been drawn GU
the artificial whisky is pumped in I
ill the bottle up. In this way, ther
is clear gain of more than two'third
for the imitation whisky which
pumped back in place of that draw
out can BIO purchased wholesale at Yer
little a gallon,
! As far as is known, none of th
adulterating Is being carried on at th
time, but some very suspicious lib
tons are being poured from bottl,
bearing the labels Of well known firm
The ornamental bar bottles frequentl
contain compounds which defy class
leation,
The crusade against the swindliu
liquor dispensers viii he prosecute
"A