Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-30
{, SELLERS Of POISON
WHISKY HERE PUT
IN MURDER CLASS
Officials Threaten Vigorous
Action Against Anyone
Dispensing Wood Alcohol
as Whisky

Anybody caught selling liquor pols-
oned with wood alcohol in Atlanta
will be charged with murder, declared
Chief of Detectives Lamar Poole
Monday morning.
He, will he prosecuted for MUIR
der, declared Solicitor John A. Boy
kin, and the death penalty will be
asked.
He should be convicted. in the
opinion of Judge John D. HUMPHREYS,
of the superior ;oart, and Judge
Humphries further said chat on next
Monday. when the January grand
jury meets, he VIII include in his
charge. a, special reference to the
blind DEATH
Although the police say they have
not run across any cases OF wood
alcohol being sold in the guise of
liquor, it is stated by authorities at
Grady hospital that there have been
five deaths in Atlanta since last
sIuly /. from drinking wood alcohol
and that number of persons are
now Having their eyes treated for
partial blindness caused by drinking
wood 2lcollol. $3.50 t6
The police, said Chief Poole, have
been Waglng vigorous war againse I
the sale of liquor in any form.
According to the police there has
been a considerable quantity of So
called potash liquor sold in Atlanta
x1rIoi rT0 h ;a,
say is almost as bad as wood all
cohol, as it eats the tissues of the
stomach, running the health and with
continued drinking ( causes deathy
There area number of persons at ,
the present time. the hospital au-
thoricies say. who are under treat
mcnt IS q result of drinking potash
liquor
The majority OF deaths caused from
liquor in Atlanta has not been from
Wocd aiaohoi, according to Chief
Pc3-e but from a concoction of grain
alcohol and potash and /, excessive
drinking. II any person should be
caught selling wood alcohol, Chief
Poole Says q charge of murder would
be made 2S&in3t them
siy:1ntons OF Victims
When a. person is brought into
Gest,J hospital suffering from aIco-
| holisn tho hospital authorities say
tiis 1irst Move upon the part of the
d0f ,DrG ;f1fG nurses. is to examine the
s.a- .s:s VI 4 fJsttfegft for indications
boe i.olI@}iiiE ~ person suffering
tactoF al Tosi ID show show N0U oontr sns
\ ton Of IND popiIs of the eyes The
p&@ss3 Noni< contract to the size of
q nia hegsd while a person drunk on
( o&G.nGIY Liquor would have normal
sire pupila @Hl
IN statement regarding the situa-
zion f-iroEgdoat the country brought
ah0ut by the Wholesale distributions
of wood alcohol in the form of wllis-
lsT and The number of deaths results
! ing, Solicitor General John A. Boylzin
sad MolGay morning that any per-
son caught selling fhe poison in this
form woll1 receive the full penalty
of the law ana If such a person
was brought before the court under
his juristliction ne said, he would in
dict the offonder for murder and
ask for capital punishment. Death
resulting from the sale of wood alcc-
moi is 'coid-blooded murder he SAD
| Efforts to sop Liquor IRA ffic lin
! Atlanta and throughout the state ~
! Georgia is being r7ade by the local
! police, county police, sheriff's de-
partment and government, officials
+! The latter have formed dragnets
throughout the, mountains to catch
7 the runners" while the county pog
lice s1'e active in oyerhauiing auto
mobiles on their way TO the city.
Despite the efforts. howeysr, many
Of the runners reacn the city and
distribute their liquor.
242 Deaths Since July
I Reports from various cities Mon
! Cay showed that at least. 242 persons
had died from wood alcohol poison
ing the blind Death since prohibit
: ton went into effect July j In
addflon, scores have been stricSen
blind and others still are in Fserj-
Gus condition h' ffp
! Follo@ing are the reported casual
T ties Of tho new plaque.
/ New r'f~-Fifty-t dead 100
/ blind. two seriously ill.,
Chicago-s Sixty dead. six i'll.
r ,Ghicopee Mass Thirty eight. dead,
! ten seriously i'll.
! 70 Observation-Disclosures dead. three
| blind. sixteenth.
! Holyoke--TFoprtcen dead, seven
! seriously i'll.
Hartford, Conn. Thirteen dead
! screen seriously III.
+. ,'%asstown, y. Y.-seven dead
! Des Moines--six dead, twelve seli-
o9sly III. <.FF#
( Newark. N. J.-Fivesdead.
! ST. Paul, Minn.-Four dead
Springfield, Nass,-Three dead
five seriously ill., %
Had1y, Mass.-Three dead
n Syracuse \. Two dead, one
III.
/ Emporiap, Pa.-Two dead.
(! Buffalo, n. y.-Twc 3eaa ~N*
blind.
\ st. Louis, Mo.-Two dead
Fhon7psonville, Conn.-Two desa.
Boston, Mass.-Two dead.
Camden. n. 1.-two dead
s Toledo, O.---Two dead.
\ Richmond, w --0lle dead@
milwaukee,, wiss.-one dead.
Colunbus, .O-One dead
5TerIen conn.--one dead, oaSh
( biind. % III
i mount Carmel. Pa.-IPrse 49,
+ Stamford. Conn One i'll.
4 Federal. state and city authoi
4 have made a number of arreS
4 New England and New YorI
men are tentatively charged
/ granddaughter. Internal reveh
i ficials in New York, howevt
/ dicated that in some cases
( charge would be changed to murdN
! Demurrers Filed to
M l.