New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-07
Department of Justice
Takes Charge of
Obvious Cases
Complaints Are Made
Board of Health, However,
Says 1t Is Another "Poi-
son Needle" Scare

Although the Health Department
thinks that the epidemic of glass in
bread is the poison needle" scare over
again, the Federal food board is so
alarmed over the situation that 1T is
about to issue a second warning to the
public.
Complaints continue to pour into the
Office of the food board, and in many
cases, according to P. A. Johann, head
Of the boards complaint bureau, the
presence of glass is so obvious that
there is no reed for analysis. The
boards belief that glass is being put
into bread by men in the bakeshops is
stronger now than ever
The board considers the situation 80
grave that only the Department of
Justice can cope with it, for the board
has no power to prosecute. All the OBJ
vious cases are sent to the Department
of Justice; only those that are doubt
full are sent to the Board of Health for
analysis.
This explanation is offered for the
fact that the Board of Health's chem
lists have been unable to find glass in
the samples submitted to them by the
food board.
eve sent them to the Health Depart
ment because we did not know whether
they contained glass or not" said an
officer of the board yesterday. "The
o0
the specimens on which we base our
belief that the glass is being put de-
lihcrately into bread in the blkeshops.
There was no need to send these sam
pies to the Department of Health. We
! have seen the glass with our own eyes,
and it is for the Department of Justice
to say who is responsible"
Three New Cases Reported
Three new cases were reported to
the Food Board yesterday. They were
all obvious cases, and were referred 10
the Department of Justice.
What increases the confidence of the
Food Board that the epidemic is the
result of malicious tampering with food
is the fact that the great majority OF
the samples actually containing glass
are the product Of large bakeries which
employ many workers.
In the early stages OIL tnes epldcnlc,
when the Food Board was still attempt
ing to deal with it, it summoned the
proprietors of two large bakeries to
conference. The bakers admitted that
they were deeply impressed by the evil
dence and could furnish no explanation
of the presence of the glass in the
bread.
Details of Cases Secret
Since then the Food Board has seen
glass in the product Of three, more
large bakeries. but it has been left to
the Department of Justice to investi-
gate For this reason the board re-
fuses to divulge details of the cases.
combining itself to the statement that
the increasing number of complaints
has shown that the boards first public
warning was justified and that sec
ond warning may be necessary.
At the Department of Justice it was
announced last night that many new
cases had been reported and were un-
der investigation. The presence of
glass was obvious in many instances.
Hoboken. hitherto apparently unaf-
fected. furnished one case yesterday.
Mrs. Frank Nichols, 359 Second Street,
reported to Chief of Police Hayes that
she had found glass in bread. The
case was handed over to the Federal
authorities.