New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-12-28
Whisky Deaths
Mount to So:
Grocer Sought

q. Bronx and his people refused to
RI heen locked for several days. Well
s ~ him and get him soon
cnr Norris, New York Medical En-
..;ner. in announcing that ffty-two
'm "sons had died in New York and
rare than hundred others lost their
a S.s;rht since July /, as the result of
ss,;rslng wood alcohol, said he was re-
ding ing all physicians in the city to
-spcrt all cases of wood alcohol POI
Nr r;nr He has also requested. he
~ that all persons who deal in the
s,.sly poison for industrial purposes
Iii mix into it some nauseous sub
s s.ree that will make it unfit to drink
s,~ as "coroner's cocktail"
'Innr Copeland said that in anticipat-
~ the sale of beverages containing
~ slcohol with the advent of pro-
hilton. he arranged for about twenty
ia inspectors TO watch saloons and
..ssr places where wood alcohol and
s .hsr harmful liquids were likely to
y sold. He said that within the last
s.w DAYS he has doubled his force of
ssoectors and that they lad been
;-structed 70 watch paint stores. which
lave on hand at all times large guam
s.;es Of wood alcohol. to see if any
=, the proprietorS OF these were being
yrpted by the large prices for any
ding even family resembling spirits.
Seeks Denaturant
Ne also said the Health Department
!, seeking a denaturant that would
-ake wood alcohol so unpalatahle that
10 rieht-miaded person would drink
/. He pointed out that whatever de-
,sturant is adopted must be OF such a
.bsracter that il Will not effect the
'sgihmate trade use of the poison. If
ucb denaturant is found, he said, he
would urge the passage of an amend
cent to the sanitary code compe ling
Is use.
The New York County Medical So
.jsty and the National Committee for
the Prevention o. Blindness are CO.
operating with DR.. Copeland and DR..
Norris in their efforts to find a salts
factory way OF making wood alcohol
offensive to tie palate. A series OF
con erences VIII be held this week be-
.ween the manufacturers OF wood alec
aol and members Of the committee OF
public health and hygiene of the New
York County Medical Society.
Illicit Stills Seized
Two Illicit stills were raided in New
York yesterday. A squad of internal
revenue agents, acting on an anony-
nous tip. visited second floor apart
nent in the tenement in 1905 Avenue A.
occupied BY John A'exa. an Austrian.
They seized & three gallon copper still,
three barrels OF mash. which thes So: 1
he'd been made from rye bread, and sew
e-al bott es Of what was characterized
BY Colonel Porter as the vilest smell
ing stuff that ever masqueraded as
whisky"
Alexa was not home when the reve-
hue agents arrived. and they were still
watching for him late last night.
Alexa, they said, IS a cabinet maker
End the father of four small children
Two Of whom we're in the apartment
when the revenue agents knocked on
the door Quantities of coloring mat
Ter were seized also. This, the revenue
SCENTS said. was used to color the
high proof spirits from the still.
Baxter Street Place Raided
Detectives under Michael Fiaschetti
head Of the police Italian squad, raided
an old storeroom in 20 Baxter Street
yesterday and seized what they believe
is the equipment of an illicit still. Cor
stantino Kasty, of 6S Baxter Street
was locked Up on the charge of being
a suspicious person after he had Led
the police to coffee house he con
ducts in IS Baxter Street and revealed
8 couple Of dozen bottles containing ar
Alcoholic mixture concealed in pile
Of bags Of sawdust.
In the Bronx District Attornev Mar
tin assigned his assistant, Charles
Mclaughlin, to direct the search OF
police and other officials for ware
house in which many barrels Of wood
alcohol are supposed to have been
stored before being shipped into Con
necticut.