Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-05
Jail for Rotten Ego Men.

Jail for Rotten Egg Men.
Seven OF the men connected with
the Western Egg Yolk Company and
the Excelsior Baking Company. so.
called. Of New Jersey who were con
wcted of conspiracy to violate the
Food and Drugs Act in the interstate
shipment Of rotten eggs. have beer
sentenced in the Federal court al
Trenton. New Jersey. to terms in pri.
son ranging from three months to q
year and a day Hyman Lewis, Bern.
ard Edelberg, Samuel Edelberg, and
Morris Sladkus received the latte,
sentence, Herman Zwicker and Harry
Lewites six months each, and Schei,
Weissman, who was recommended
for mercy. three months.
Some Of the defendants, lit, MAJ
proved, were doing business M the
. name Western Egg Yolk Cempany and
sothers under the naasaz 11t1 ~
sior Baking Company To- Is5 bj1fflopi
Of purchasing eggs which had -,
condemned and denatured In Me-
York City and selling them to baker,
in Jersey City. New Jersey, in viola.
lion of the Federal Food and Drug
+ Act.
In practically every shipment oA
eggs there are certain to be at least
few that cannot pass the caf1dline
test and are therefore discarded .bv
dealers. In large city like New
York the eggs rejected in this way
will amount in the course of a dav
to considerable number. The law
forbids their use for human food. bu,
permits them to be denatured and sold
for technical purposes, the chief ont.
let being tanneries. The Western Egg
Xoik Company, it was proved. pur.
chased these denatured eggs. but in
stead of selling them to tanneries. O,
finding other legitimate markets for
them. removed the denaturing suh.
stance ana sold them to certain New
Jersey bakers for use in CHEAP cake
and other similar articles.
In July. 1913, lot of eggs trans.
ported from New York in a wagon
belonging to the company was seized
in Jersey City. The containers in
which these eggs were shipped were
branded spots. riots, and mot in.
tended for food purposes" Investiga.
ton showed. however. that this label.
ing was merely a subterfuge to avoid
interference by the federal authorities
and that there was a definite nlan r.
sell the eggs to bakeries and that the
Western Egg yolk Company had been
organized for this purpose by a mum.
Der of men who had been prominently
identified with the segg business ir
New York city for some time. The
Department Of Agriculture, therefore
did not content itself with the seizure
OF these eggs, but continued to war.
rant the federal district attorney q,
New Jersey in securing indictments
for conspiracy against the following
Morris Sladkus, Herman Zw1cker
Bernard Edelbere, Scheir Weissman
Harry Lewites. Fred Furnival. Hvmar
Lewis. William Rubin. Samuel Ede,
berg, Harry Weissman, Samuel Fnr6i.
val.
OF these. the two Furnivals were
] the bakers to whom the company dis.
posed Of its rotten eggs. samue
Furnival was not tried on account Of
illness, and Fred Furnival was acouit.
ted Of the charge OF conspiracy. The
Indictment against Harry weissmar
was also dismissed at the request O,
the District Attorney on account Of In.
sufficient evidence. William Rubir
turned States evidence and ESCAPED
in this way. The remaining defend
ents all convicted on the charge Of
conspiracy. but Scheir weissman wa.
recommended to mercy.