The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-08-04

Mr.. Charles II. Crafts. president of
the F. j. Crafts Drug company,
against which an affidavit was filed
in Justice Conleys court Thursday
charging the company with selling
what purported to be n 40 per cent.
solution of formaldehyde, and which
the state dairy and food commission
er held did not contain that percent
age of the disinfectant. pleaded not
guilty Thur sday afternoon and the
hearing of the case was set for one
| o'clock Saturday afternoon, MIR Crafts
giving a bond of 500 for his appear
ance a
Mr.. Crafts explains the matter
plausibly and puts 1t In an entirely
different light. I'm the first place, dur
ing the smallpox scare here last
March, the board of education receiy-
ed bids on about 80 gallons OF formal
dehyde, to be used in disinfecting the
various school buildings. No one
druggist In Marion carries that much
on hand. The Crafts company Sc
cured the contract for furnishing the
dislnfectant to the school board. At
the same time. as matter of busl-
ness, the Crafts company ordered
about ten or fifteen gallons over and
above the quantity desired by the
school board.
The entire amount was purchased
from the Walding. Kennen & Marvin
company of Toledo. 1t was shipped
here in what is called one carboy
4 t..
| ceptacles bore stamp showing the
contents to be 40 per cent. formalde-
hyde" Nondrugglst ever analyses all
the drugs that come to him I'm bulk,
as the word and reputation of the
| firm from which the purchase is
made. is always accepted, and those
| firms are presumed TO observe the
| law. 'L's 4nufr
Therefore. whenfthe Crafts COM
pany received its portionIof the ship
nhent which the school board reeeiyI
ed and usqd.fH Hr. Crafts son at once
had the (ormaidehyde taken from the
Jugs and put 9p In half pint pint and
quart bottles, for the trade This Was
done TO AVOID delay'ln waiting on the
trade when the disinfectant was call-
ed for as the Crafts company be-
Dieved there would be large deman1
Efor such a disinfectant at nthat time.
The law requires that druggist
put his own label on the bottle in
such cases as this, and this was dona
and II was stated II was 40 per cent.
formaldehyde Mr.. Crafts stated this
morning that he had no reason 90
believe that II was other than what
was represented, as the store had
done business with the Toledo firm
tor years,
As soon as possible after the war.
rant was served. MIR. Crafts called up
the Toledo firm and explained the
situation TO them. They replied that
they purchased the formaldehyde
from the Perth-Amboy Chemical COM
pany, OF Perth-Amboy. New Jersey,
and would take the matter up with
them Immediately. The manufactur.
ors. they said. represented TO them
that the disinfectant was 40 per cent.
formaldehyde," and so labeled IT,
This morning Mr.. Crafts received
IA letter from the Toledo firm stating
these facts, with the additional state
ment that they (the Toledo firm)
would not guarantee, for one month.
centage represented. II 1t was left un.
oorked. nor aid they believe the man.
ulacturer would make such a guaran-
tee. The Toledo firm was evidently
laboring under the misapprehenslon
that tins might have been done and
the formaldehyde thereby might have
lost its strength. This, however, was
, not the case according TO Mr.. Cratta
and j. w, Jacoby, chairman OF the
| board of education committee on sup
plies. Mr. Jacoby went Immediately
to the school building. hoping to find
!, | a quantity of the formaldehyde still
, unused, but did not find II. However.
he die find the receptacle In which II
was shipped. and which was never In
Mr.. Crafts hands. and this recep-
tacle bore a tag ana stamp repre-
senting the receptacle TO contain 40
per cent, formaldehyde.
Under these conditions Mr.. Jacoby
and Mr.. Crafts both claim that thH
orug company was an innocent pur'
chaser ana an innocent dispenser II
II Is finally proven that the formalda'
hyde did actually, upon chemical
analysis, fall below the percentage
repres snted
This statement is made In justice
to Mr. Crafts, who fears that the
public might be ready TO attrlpu'e
dishonest motives TO him IN tns
transaction These facts, it II stated
will be developed In the hearing sat
arday afternoon. and Mr.. Crafts holds
that he viii be shown to be absolutely
blameless. Nor is II conceded yer
: that the formaIdehyde did actually
fall below the requirements OF the
law.