The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-10-31
SIX DEAD FROM
WAR WH1SKEY"
SOLD AS DRINK
One Other Dying and
Bleecker Street Saloon
Keeper in Custody.
LABELLED AS BOURBON
Symptoms Indicate Wood Al.
cohOl Sold in Bar as
"Kentucky's Best

Six men died yesterday as the result
/ or drinking war whiskey" and an
other Is In a serious condition from the
same cause. Six Of the victims lived In
tne MINIS Hotel in Bleecker street and
the seventh lodged in that vicinity.
The war whiskey" lie believed to have
been made OF wood alcohol or some
other Inexpensive poison to substitute
for the liquor which saloon keepers wer
apie 10 dispense for ten cents a drink
previous to the increase in taxes. An
autopsy VIII be performed on one or
more OF the men to es nbl.sh tho exa {
poison that is being sold. but there !s
Tough evidence from the condition of
thL victims to warrant strong suspicion
OK wood alconol Those of the victim,
who were attended by physicians before
oeath or iapsing into coma were
found to have suffered compete paral-
ysis Of the optic nerves.
Inere Is no bar at the Mills Hotel
forthermore. It was pointed out 1T the
motel that two or three OF the men were
round not In their rooms. but on the
street.
Saloon Keeper Arrested
The frst case that came to the atten.
ton OF the police was that Of Charles
Collins. who early Monday morning was
round lying In Bleecker street near
Macdougal He was taken to Bellevue
Hospital suffering apparently from alco-
none coma. He died early yesterday
morning. Collins. II Is said, was a por-
ter In SALON at 155 Bleecker street
Late last night Antonio Dealfaneo. the
proprietor. was locked up pending an
investigation. In the saloon were found
bottles labelled "Kentucky's Best
Whiskey"
bottle OF whiskey bearing that
label was found in the room at the
Mills Hotel. Clinton Arnold, a salesman.
who died shortly after 5 O'Clock yester-
day afternoon. few hours after being
taken to hospital. One victim. accord
ing to the police. said last night in st.
vincents Hospital he had purchased the
liquor which caused his Illness at the
Bleecker street saloon Dealfanso told
the police he had purchased his stock
from an express man.
Charles f. Jones, found on the street
near the saloon at o'clock Yesterday
afternoon. died a few minutes later at
St. Vincent's. Patrick Cahill, found in
his room III with alcoholic poisoning
earlier In the day, died late last night
TWO other dodgers at the hotel were
taken to st Vincent's In serious condi-
ton. They are Harry Burke and Elmer
Smith. Smith died early this morning.
Was soon to He Married.
Don c. Wilson registered at a roomine
house at $40 Broadway at / A. NJ. YES.
terday. Apparently he was intoxicated.
" hen an attendant went into his room
AT o'clock last evening he was lying
dead Wilson. shortly before his deaih
had written letter to friend in
which he indicated that until recently
ms ADDRESS had been at 1859 Broadway.
several letters In his possession were
from q brother who Is travelling with a ,
circus
One letter which Wilson evidently had
Just written was signed Uncle Don"
ana was inscribed to Ruth" II told Of
his coming marriage to the actress who, !
said the letter. was "beautifsl and
charming and talented" and such as
you VIII be proud Of and like" She had
been at various times engaged In pro-
auctions by leading film companies. had /
posed Tor one or two artists and had ap-
peared In the spoken drama Wilson .
wrote that his fancee was accomplished
In music. He met her, he said, at the
Art students League In 1915.
At the boarding house It was said tha.
Me man had spoken Of having been a
cartoonist and portrait painter, but that
no mad had recent reverses In his
nnances. On the police register he is
down as a waiter. At the Broadway
address. which Is a building of many
studios, among other forms of apart-
nents. no one could be found last night
who knew Wilson,
Societies which have in recent years
'ndeavored to obtain leg station prohibit
ng the manufacture In the United States
u wood alcohol have pointed out that
several countries OF Europe, notably
3reat Britain. now have such laws. The
irug Is one OF the most deadly po!sons
inown. Swallowed In exceedingly small
Quantities II causes blindness and in
ernal disorders II may cause paralysis
u the optic nerves even II only inhaled.
In most cases where deaths have
'esulted In New York through the drink-
ns Of wood alcohol the trouble largely
ias been through ignorance of drug
'ists or saloon keepers that the LIQUID
vas poisonous II is for that reason
hat steps have been taken to limit its
ale and to prohibit entirely its manu-
acture.