The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-13
POLICE GUARDS FOR SALOONS.
PEOPLE IN STRIKERS FARM SEC
TION MUCH EXCITED.

TO the Police Very Pale-sachs Not .
victim-Second Case OF Wood Alcohol
Sale on Record, u. 4. Oficers say
The police Of the West Forty-seventh
street station were taking extra precau-
tions last night against any fresh attacks
on saloons in the Strikers Farm" Sec
ton along Tenth and Eleventh avenues,
where the deaths from bad whiskey have
been occurring. Two policemen stood
on guard In front Of the saloon Of Rudolph
Fritsche, at 723 Tenth avenue, which had
all it's windows broken by mob on Tues
day night. Several other saloons which
people in the district believe to be respon-
sble for some Of the deaths, although the
police have no evidence against them,
were also being watched last night.
Feeling in the section was still high
yesterday, and there were many mutter-
ings against Fritsche's place. The people.
Coroner Scholer and the police say, now
have bad vhiskey on the brain. About
every death that occurs. they expect, will
be ascribed to this cause. Coroner Scholer
left orders with the police yesterday that
he should be informed Of every ambulance
call sent in from the district where tho
deaths have occurred.
What Coroner Scholer particularly wants
ts an ante-mortem statement from victim
detailing just when and where suspected
whiskey was bought and who sold it. The
Coroner said yesterday that evidence such
as this was entirely lacking 80 far in the
case OF Fritsches or any other saloon.
although nineteen deaths have occurred
said the Coroner, due, l feel certain, to
this cause, not in one single case Ia there
any relative or any one else who can give
such evidence az would warrant a charge
Of manslaughter. They all say simply
that their husband, brother or who ever
the victim was had been drinking in a lot
Of places and suddenly was taken ILL.,"
The Coroner was informed yesterday
Board OF Health OF the samples OF whiskey
found in Frits CHEFS place. showing the
exact proportion OF wood alcohol found,
would be in his hands by tomorrow. 1t
is possible that then a more serious charge
may be made against Fntsohe. He still
denies having tempered with his whiskey
himself in anyway, and his bartender Is
dead. None Of the whiskey taken from
other places has shown any signs Of wood
alcohol
The internal revenue inspectors who
went over Fritsche's place on Tuesday
sent samples Of whiskey taken from three
barrels to the chemists OF the bureau at
Washington yesterday for full analysis.
This whskey contained wood alcohol
according to the inspectors, but their
analysis must be confirmed by the one in
Washington before any action IL taken
A report is expected in ten days.
Under the ederal statutes saloon keeper
In such q case can be prosecuted on two
counts-one for having adulterated spirits,
after the receptacle had been stamped,
with something other than water, and the
For adulterating stamped" spirits he can
be fined and sent to prison for a year, and
for rectifying without a license he can
be aned as high as 5000 and sentenced
to serve two years in prison. In both
cases his entire stock may be confiscated.
1t was explained yesterday by one Of the
Internal Revenue officers that In searching
for violations on the part Of rectifiers and
wholesalers the officers were continually
visiting saloons all over the city and seeing
whether the liquors correspondent with the
stamp. Cases have been found where col
oring matter had been put in whskey by
saloon keepers, but it was said by the officers
that Fritsche's case was the only one where
wood alcohol had been discovered, with
one exception. That was the case Of
sutler at the camp at Chickamauga during
the Spanish war. He had mixed wood
alcohol with cheap whiskey to double the
quantity. and several soldiers died exactly
In the same manner as have the persons
over on the West Side. The sutler was
turned over to the State authorities, who
tried him for manslaughter, but the evidence
was not strong enough and he was released.
'In all my experience, ranging all over
the country" said the officer yesterday,
that is the only. case in which wood alcohol
has figured before. No one would ever
attempt to make use Of wood alcohol for
this purpose unless through the grossest
ignorance, because any but the most igno-
rant would know 1t would mean sickness
ated spirits,. Another thing, any quantity
Of wood alcohol should betray itself to any
one accustomed to the smell and taste OF
whiskey. Even ordinary poor whiskey
does not taste the least bit like whiskey
doctored with wood alcohol; The men
must have noticed it unless they were very
drunk 1t was sufficiently plain to US the
minute we looked at it.
The three barrels which the Internal
that had been mixed with wood alcohol
had been purchased from reputable dealers,
who are above uspicion. the officers said.
One barrel had been purchased as late as
Sept Q. The whiskey left in it was full of
wood alcohol. This was being sold; APP
Fritsche, when questioned by the officers
said he had never tempered with it and
said he didn't detect anything wrong with
it, although the officers sav the adulteration
was plain to any one with any knowledge
OF whiskey.
There we're no more deaths reported
from the district about the saloon yester-
day but case OF either sickness or magma
ton due to excitement came to the atten-
ton OF the West Forty-seventh street police
in the afternoon when a man rushed into
the station house carving half filled flask
OF whiskev. He said he was John Pyne of
555 West Forthwith street
II bought this In Fritsche's place last
week." he said. "and to-day I took some
and now I'm getting sick.
Pyne was very white and complained OF
pains in his stomach. He was taken to
Bellevue Hospital and the police sent the
flask to the Board OF Health.
An autopsy yesterday on the BODY of
Herman Sachs. who died in Roosevelt Hos
pital Tuesday night after drinking whiskey.
showed that he had acute asthma and heart
disease Coroner Scholer said that under
these circumstances it was very doubtful
II he was a whiskev victim. Nevertheless,
his stomach was sent to the Board OF Health
for analysis.