The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-01-01
6lG DEATH 1Nl.
FROM WO0DNC0HOL
POISON CLAIMS OVER faO DUR
ING HOLIDAY sEAsNN.
Death List Extends from Ooeall tc
Ocean and the Lakes to
the Gulf. a.

Victims of wood alcohol poisoning
were counted by the hundreds dura
ing the holidays when the natioft
awoke suddenly to the grave peril
which has followed closely in the
wake of prohibition.
Every section of the country had
its list of dead-meh and women kill
ed by the poison sold to them as
whfskey. Each hour the list was grow
ing larger. Each community had be-
lieved its case was isolated and pc
culiar. 1t suddenly developed that
the evil is nationwide.
This crisis was revealed when Hart
ford, Conn.,, flashed word that thir-
teen men had died there from wood
alcohol poisoning and called on the
police of New York to trace the source
; Of the murder whiskey'' believed to
have been sent out of this city in
large quantities.
All governmental agencies were in
stantly aroused to action. The police,
Secree Service, Internal Revenue
agents and federal prosecuting off
c,ais united in running down the illi-
cit .'moonshiners" who are turning
wood alcohol into fortunes,
Chicopee, Mass, Dec. 2S.-United
States Marshal Edward ]. Leyden, to-
day arrested four men of federal war
rants, two charging violation of the
wartime prohibition act and two IL
legal transportation of liquor from
State to State. The arrests resulted
from his investigation INTO the deaths
of more than fifty persons in the Con-
necticut wood alcohol contained in a
mixture sold as whiskey. y
Four more deaths had resulted
since early this morning from alcohol
poisoning. three in Holyoke and one
in Chicopee, bringing the total for
the Connecticut valley, not including
Hartford, to ( ifty-two, divided as
follows:
Chieopee, thirty-six, including two
women; Holyoke, nine; Springfield.
four, including one woman; Green
$isid; one and Thompsonvilie, Conn,
kfo.
4 Those Under arrest on the federal
warrants are, John Nasaizewski, of
Chicopee, and Harr Shapiro, Of
Springfield, truck driver, who are
charged with bringing the liquor in
to the valley; Adam Ostrowski and
John w. Starszyk, both Of Holyoke,
charged with violation of the wartime
prohibition act. They will be arraign-
ed before United States commission
er Monday morning. All were releas-
ed under $500 bonds.
Men Charged With Murder.
Marshal Alfred Caron, of the Chico
pee police, left this afternonn for
New Haven, Conn.,, with warrants
caarging murder against four men
who have been arrested in that city.
The warrants were sworn out, the
police say, on information given by
William Baker, of this town, who is
held on manslaughter charge, and
Harry Shapiro, of Springfield.
Although several new cases of the
poisoning were reported today in the
valley, the number decreased consid
erably over Friday and Saturday. The
number increased in Holyoke, giving
the impression that some of the liquor
bought in that city may have been
consumed since Friday, when thefirst
signs of the poisoning became evil
dent. q.
Hartford, Conn. Dec 2S-No addi-
tional deaths from wood alcohol
poisoning were reported here today,
the list of dead remaining at thirteen,
the total recorded Saturday forenoon.
Two more cases of persons suffering
from the effects of poisonous liquor
were listed in hospitals, making eight
persons known to be i'll here from that
cause. Four of these were reported
tonight in a critical condition.
No further arrests were made here
today. Seven men are held in con-
nection with the wood alcohol "whis-
key" sales, four of them being charg-
ed with murder.
Another death was added to the
Connecticut total today, when awom-
an died in Meridian from the. effects
of poisonous liquor.
Six Men Arrested.
zNay Haven, Conn, Dec. 2S-Six
md were arrested here today in con-
nection with the sale of wood alcohol
"whiskey," which they are alleged to
Nave shipped from this city to Chico
bee, Mass. The arrests were made at
khe request of the district attorney of
>Syestfield, Mass, who telegraphed
that the men are wanted for hon.
icide IN Massachusetts,
Two barrels of compound believed
to contain wood alcohol were confis-
Gated in a barn on the outskirts of
the city. According to the police, four
barrels of liquor were shipped from