New-York tribune., 1919-12-27
Ten Dead in Hartford,
l8 in Chicopee Falls,
Four in Holyoke and
Many Others Are Dying
Warning Is Issued
TO New England
IL Barrels of Poisoned
"Whisky" Distributed;
Eight Arrests Are Made


day liquor, believed to consist mostly
Of wood alcohol, has caused the death
Of ten men here, of fourteen men anc
woman In Chicopec, Mass, and of
four men in Holyoke, Mass, in the
last twenty-four hours. More than
twenty men. many of them blind and
some at the point Of death, are in the
hospitals here. Other victims are re-
ported in New Britain and Danbury
Conn.
The liquor, which purported to be
whisky, was shipped from the Bronx In
New York City for the Christmas trade
and it is feared, may have been widely
distributed over New England All day
the police and physicians have been
busy in this city as reports Of new
cases of wood alcohol poisoning came
pouring in.
Internal revenue officers in this state
alarmed at the situation, telegraphcd I'd
tonight to Collector w. H. Edwards
of New York, urging haste in the in
vestigption into the manufacture and
sale Of the beverage in order to pre-
line
FOur Arrests Made
Twelve barrels of the stuff, bought
at the rate Of $1,000 barrel (S2O a
galion), were shipped here, and four
men who are alleged to have engaged
IN the project of protitoering in Christ
mas toddies have been arrested AL
though they assert that they thought
the liquor to be potable and knew only
that it was so strong rs to require dlu-
tion, all four are held without bail on
charges Of murder.
The four prisoners are Jacob Broner-
vine, saloonkeeper and joint purchaser.
VINO feared to sell the stuff in his own
saloon because. it is said, he had pre-
vlously been arrested and fined under
the wartime prohibition act; Frank
Nose Nose proprietor Of q saloon at 277
Windsor Street; Saul Joseph, bartender
and partner of Bronerwine, and Nathan
Salsberg, peddicr and bartender.
Irving Botick, chauffeur Of a truck
which the police found at the saloon
laden with what liquor was left when
the deaths became known, was held in
$500 bail on charges Of violating the
liquor law. The dead were:
Kul Molozuk who died three hours
after arriving at the hospital Christ
mas night; James Charkovich, who died
to-day, six hours after being sent to
hospital; Anthony Charkovich, who
died early to-day, after being in the
hospital four hours; Bartois Stempker,
who died this forenoon, ten minutes
after going blind and being sent to the
hospital: Joseph Chertubuck, who died
last night, half an hour after going
blind at the hospital, Alexander
Chmiekswky, who died at his home in
West Hartford Christmas afternoon;
Philip Lasovitch. who died early to-
day, one hour after arriving at the hos
pitai; Hyman Fisher, who died early
to-day, two hours after arriving at the
hospital; George Kross and Max
Multnek.
Warming Sent Broadcast
Michael Yusko. a saloonkoeper. who
is dying al st. Francis's hospital, has
fingered until now, physicians say,
only because as soon as he began to
feel the effects OF the wood alcohol
he took a strong emetic.
This evening after it was thought
that all the cases Of poisoning had
been discovered two more ambulance
calls came in and Benny Persky. Of
% Portland Street, and Joseph Silver
stein, OF 30 Huyshope Avenue, both
blind from the liquor, were taken to
the hospital
A few hours after Benny Persky was
taken to the hospital, an ambulance
was summoned to PIT Pleasant Street
to remove his father John another
victim of the liquor. He was blinded,
as was Tony Dorsway, who was taken
from his home. at SO Huyshop Avenue.
Anthon CharHovich, one of those
killed by the liquor was the brother
Of man who formerly tended bar
Tor Rose. 1t was this man who first
rotliied the police, and his brother is
tne man whom the prisoners are
accused IN the murder warrants of
killing. From the four men who. it
is alleged, were to split the profits
Of the holiday liquor, the police dis
covered where the "whisky' was manu-
iactured and were able to send warn
lngs to other communities.
In most instances, it Is feared. the
warning arrived too late. One man
was arrested In New Britain as a re
suit Of 1t. however, and another in
Holyoke, Mass, and all their custom
ciH NSlc duNiSc 10 consult DhVSlclauS
at once. The name of q Danbury
dealer said to have received con,
signment Of the liquor is known and
the police Of that city are seekn him
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Dec. 26.-
Nineteen persons are dead and several
others are critically Ill in hospitals in
this city and Holyoke as the result. il
Is believed, of drinking some form of
alcohol contained in liquor which the
men are said to have bought Christ
mas Day. Fourteen of the men died
In Chicopee and the other four in
Hclyoke, while many Of those i'll in the
hospitals are not expected to live.
A woman succumbed in Chicopee.
Two men were arrested by the
Chicopee police tonight and are being
held pending autopsies. They are
Charles Perry and William A. Baker. a
bartender in the American House.
Inquiry Is Begun
The police and state and Federal au
thorities began an investigation this
afternoon. and 1t was reported by the
Holyoke police tonight that the liquor
Continued ON r,nne f,e