Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-30
VENDORSOF DEADLY
BEVERAGES SOUGHT
Toll of Death From Drinking
Wood Alcohol Continues
to Increase
DISTRIBUTOR TELLS STORY
Brooklyn Undertaken and Drug
gist Charged With Being Prin-
cipals in New England Sales.
fnv Associatcd Prcr-.l


IN custody. alleged rinEleaders in a
conspiracy TO flood New York, New
ierEcy and New England with poison
ous substitution for whisky, Federal,
state and city authorities were united
tonight In II vigorous pursuit OF tho
nurveyora of tho poisonous beverages
which have caused scores OF deaths and
hundreds Of cases OF blindness and
illness. The capture OF at least a
score or moro OF the poison dispensers
Is expected. according to tho Federal
officials.
In tho meantime the toll Of death
and serious illness caused through
drinking wood alcohol and other illicit
concoctiona continued 20 mount in New
York and adioccnt cities.
During tho day four moro deaths
Wero refro recorded. ono each from Newark,
tlizaeeth. i'assaic. y. j.. and one from
Mex. York. H. addition two men and
woman were picked up unconscious
i'assai, in "a ..tminr cona,o amn wo meH 1o IN
oe;nS critically III tonight from sico-
ho!!c poisoning.
OTicinis Thoroughly Arou.ed.
Thoroughly aroused by tho ever
ties held several conferences during the
gay al whicn co-olcration was planned
niclpal departments. Colonel Daniel L.
poricT,. Supervising revenue agent for
campaign for inc Federal government.
declared tonight that New York City
is ,hc hcadquartcrs for the country in
ihe Illicit Liquor industry. and that in
~ impossible yet 10 tell how far
The rarnfications OF tho trade extend
The two mos, important arrests made
arc ihosc OF John Romanclli. Brook
I'm undertaken. and Samuel Saieeby, a
being me nrIhepas in no the e dis,ribation SGde on
~ IN. poison throughout New Engia
The Two men were released tonight on
<25.op1 bail pending further cxamina-
tiou.
Former Snioonkeeper Makes Statement
.,,, The remaining four men arc Adolph
mine Liccnziato, r\nedio Delona and
Luigi Pnca, Italian Eroccrs. Panareili
has made stntemen, to the authori-
ties IN regard TO the method employed
for the distribution of the Iiquor in
New Ergiand,. and Il was stated to-
ilSht. he may be a witness for the gov
l;omanelli is accused Of Hn htving soiti soid
are said to have been bought by a
Cordins to Colonel Porter. came 10
panarclli after the sale and denounced
aim for having charged him $4,000 for
Panareiii. who acted as Romanclli's
agent, claims. Colonel Porter said. that
druggist, who confirmed the saloon
Keepers word that IL was poison. He
said that he then warned Nathan SalZ-
herg,sa Hartford. Conn, saloonkeeper
over the lonG-distancc telephone, not
10 sell any OF three barrels or the
LIQUOR he had bought.
Said He Would Recover Goods.
SalzberG told him, he continued. that
he had sold barrel TO Il dealer in
Chcopee, Mass. and smaller quantities
10 other dealers III Hartford. but that
he would try and recover as much OF
tho liquor as he could. Later lie was
informed By salzberg that he had got
back almost all except half barrcl
which had been sold in Cnicopee. Aft
er reading of the deaths from wood al
cohol poisoning in Connecticut and
Massachusetts. Panarclli went TO a
lawyer, and on his advice. surrendered
himself 10 Revenue Agent Dobbs.
a stll and LOO gallons of liquor
were seized tonight in raid in the
basement OF an apartment house in the
RronN by city detectives. Three men
were arrested. who described them
selves as Louis DcZito, AN ice dealer;
Nitclc Cello and Joseph Giuseppe, la
borcrs.
Another death, that. Of John Smith:
80, was added tonight to the toll of
wood alcohol poisoning. He lived In
Fulton Street lodging house, where
four others have died from drinking
poisonous liquor.