The New York herald., 1920-01-04
Federal Agents Arrest Giovan-
nj Russo in the Adirondacks,
After Chase.
SAID TO KNOW SOURCE
OF ALCOHOL SUPPLY
Officials Declare His Capture Is Most
Important and Completes
Chain of Evidence.

Following the arrest yesterday in the
Adirondacks of Giovanni Russo, secret
agents aid chief, were confident they had
the man for whow they had been search
ing nearly week in their effort to
clear up the mystery surrounding the
wood alcohol cases.
Other prisoners had informed the Of
|ficials that Russo knew the source Of the
big supply which was shipped out of John
Romanelli's little undertaking establish
ment in Third avenue, Brooklyn, and
which carried death into several cities in
onnecticut and Massachusetts.
Russo disappeared Christmas day, when
the alarm first was given that the wood
alcohol ''whiskey' sent to onnectcut was
killing all who drank it. Following the
arrest of Adolph Panereli. Romaneli and
others, the revenue agents and police be-
gan their search for Russo. He was cap
tured yesterday near Albany, following
an exciting chase which led across frozen
fields and into woods
"Compietes Chain of Evidence,
According to the revenue agents, Russo
can tell where the wood alcohol was OBJ
tanned, who mixed 1t with other ingred-
tents to make the murder whyskey,'
and other details which have been lacking.
Federal officials said they regarded Rus
SOS arrest as the most important so far
made and that it completed the chain of
evidence.
Russo was brought back to New York
last evening and taken to the Federal
Building. where he was questioned by
Joseph Mulqueen, Assistant United States
Attorney, and the revenue agents. Ifar-
Old RphhE, of the revenue eservice. led
the search for Russo.
The series of raids made by revenue
agents in Brooklyn resulted in closing the
bars of that borough tighter yesterday
tha nat any time for weeks. The presence
OF several strange Secret Service men In
their borough frightened the saloonkeep-
ers, who have heretofore ebeen Indifferent.
With tho public on guard against poison
whiskey, the saloon patronage fell off de-
cidedly during the last two days, and the
federal officials stated that they hoped
the worst of the wood alcohol danger had
passed Those who have bee nwilling to
sell the poison had been alarmed at the
arrest of so many Illicit dealers.
Dies of Alcohol Poisoning.
The only death from wood alcohol
poisoning reported yesterday in Manhat'
tan was that of Otto Wedmeyer. thirty
two years Of age, who died in furnished
room at No. 13i East Twenty-eighth street
John Jarrett, thirty-three years old, OF
No. 210 West Forty-ninth street. was found
unconscious in the street in front OF NO
1893 Third avenue and taken to Bellevue
Hospital. where Dr. Hermes saaid he was
suffering from wood alcohol poisoning
Jarrett said he was a clerk engaged in the
theatrical business.
Abraham II. Prayer. a saloonkeeper. OF
70. 27 Ferry street, Newark. was detained
by the police pending action in his case
by federal officials. According to the
police. Prayer admitted having sold three
barrels of sacramental wine to a saloon
keeper in Newark. The barrels bore q
government seal and were marked, "For
sacramental purposes only"
Ptomaine poisoning and not wood
alcohol probably caused the death oi
Waiter Barr, of Jersey City, in the st
Mary's Hospital, Jamaica, last Sunday
the medical examiner OF Queens reported