New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-06
GET COUNTERFEIT GOODS
U. S. Seizes Cordial Containing
35 Per Cent Wood Alcohol.
PETR0TTA CASE UP TO-DAY
Hundreds of Prosecutions Will
Follow-Expose of Danger.
Gus Substitutes.

The trial OF Thomas Petro,ta on charge
OF selling counterfeit" liquors. set for to-
day before Judge Thomas Davis. in Sev.
arb y J.. is expected to disclose an amaz-
Ing picture Of The scale on which the new
industry OF counierfciting labels. trade.
marks and other protective devices Of food
stufs and medicines il now conducted.
The cas-. OF Petrotta - only one In tho
chain of hundreds Of prosecutions that vii
be pressed by tho manufacturers of ths
genuine articles throughout the country.
The coun,erfeiting OF the marks and lahes
of standard articles classified as drugs or
food. and the substitution for the genuine
goods Of not only inferior. but directly poll
sonous sturs. has brought the federal 1901
inspectors on the trail Of the counterieiter''
and great quantities OF their soohs arc
being seized and destroyed.
Several weeks ago a consignment ~ sixty
cases containing twelve bottes eacn'
shipped from Philadelphia 70 New ioTs
warehouse. VAS reported 70 the federal
food and drug inspectors In this city, ana
the shipment was held up on suspicion. IL
consisted OF a well known appetizer, used
extensively among Italians. bur gaining
favor rapidly among American consumers
A chemical analysis Of the stun disclosed
that So per cent OF Il was crude wood alco-
hol The whole shipment was seized and
destroyed by United States marrhals.
chemist Who worked on the analysis
~ the liquor said yesterday that the wood
alcohol was sufficient 10 kill a man who
drank whole bottle in a day, and that
the drinker who took only sas. OF tbs
stuff before his dinner would 60 blind with
in six months.
Brandies used for medicinal purposes ars
also counterfeited, and some OF the Vest
ern counterfeiters have not hesttated 20
use wood alcohol in the production o. the
substitute The counterfeit brandles which
Petrotta sold In this city did not contain
rhe poison, but thousands OF cases we're
manufactured in Chicago and put on trs
market throughout the West, which. on
ANALYSIS, disclosed per cent or more wood
alcohol. Some contained green oil, whit.
Invariably tho substitute did not possess
any conceivable medical value.
There were three manufactures % that
Kind IN Chicago, who between them man.
aged 20 turn ont about tao hundred ana
ffty thousand bottles OF counterfeit brandy
a wear Others are bisily substituting any
marks and brands we'll established in pub
nc favor
One NJ tire detectives employed 10 trace
down such counterteiters called a few DAYS
ago on man who had been recommended
az the manufacturer ~ the cheapest sub
s'itute ohtainable for famous cordial
made In France. II was o'clock IN the
afternoon. and the man said he was just
out Of stock and could not supply case
OF the cordial
Cant you get me- any" asked the de-
tectivs
Well" was tho answer, the man rho
mikes II will he i'm soon. and ] will tell him
20 have twelve bottles ready FOR you TO-
! morrow morning.
The French monks who make the cordial
, leave the herbs and other ingredients 10
/ soak in vine for twenty-hv years before
: they put the cordial on the market.