Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-01
CHRISTMAS LIQUOR
KILLS 81 PEOPLE
Mixture Sold in Hartford, Conn,
Causes Death in That City,
Chicopee, Holyoke and Spring.
field, Mass.
MANY CRITICALLY ILL
St"ff Drunk Contained wood Alcohol
-Four Wen Die In Chicago from
snn'c, Cnusc-Ncw York Also Has Its
Death Toll

Chicopcc, Mass, Dec. 2G-Thirty-one
deaths had resulted tonight from the
drinking of liquor bought in Hartford
Conn, and drunk in this city, Holyoke
and Hartford. Yesterday. last night and
to-day, seventeen men and one woman
dled In Chicopee. ten men in Hartford
and four in Holyoke.
"A number of other men were in a crit
zeal condition tonight at hospitals in
Holyoke and Springfield. Four men we're
under arrest in Hartford and three in
Chicopee, pending the result of autopses
to be held late tonight
Police investigations in Hartford indi-
Gated that the liquor which was sent To
that city from New York. contained wood
alcohol. part of it was sold at a bar in
Hartford. part was bought at that place
by persons who carried it away and part
was sent to A hotel in Chcopee Falls
State and federal authorities in Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut were aiding the
police of Chicopee. Hartford Holyoke
and Springfield tonight in their efforts
to determine responsibility for the deaths.
Springfield, Mass, Dec. 26.-Eighteen
persons are dead and several others are
critically i'll in hospitals in this city and
drinking some form of alcohol contained
in liquor. which the men are said to have
bought Christmas day. Fourteen of the
men died in Chicopee and the other four
in Holyokc, while many of those i'll in
the hospitals are not expected to live
Three men were arrested by the Chico
pee police to7(ight and are being held
pending autopsies They are Alex Perry,
proprietor of the American House in
Chcopee Falls, where it is alleged some
of the liquor was purchased: Charles
Perry, his brother, and William A. Baker,
a bar tender in the American House.
The police and State and federal au-
thorities began an investigation this
afternoon and it was reported by the
Holyoke police tonight that the liquor
had been traced to Hartford, where it was
purchased earlier in the week. Until
autopsies have been performed on the
bodies of the victims, no statement will
be given out by tire police. 1t is expected
Medical Examiners Samuel E. Fletcher
of Chicopee and Frank a. Woods of
Holyoke. will perform the autopsies late
tonight.
Suspicion was first aroused early this
when three of the men were
found dead in bed and reports to police
ldleT showed tndt others
were affected with similar symptoms. The
Ch'copee Ho!yoke and Springfield police
at once began their investigation and
Captain Frank Guilty of this city went to
Hartford in the afternoon to ascertain
from the police there whether or not any
Of the liquor had been sent to this city.
The police and physicians believe there
are many more i'll as a result of drinking
the liquor and have not yet been reported
It was learned by the police that much
IF the liquor was sold in this section.
Chicago, Dec. 26.-Four men were dead
Today from drinking wood alcohol as a
substitute for whiskey on Christmas day
according to the police. Two died yester-
lay and two to-day
New York, Dec. 26-Twenty-seven
deaths from drinking wood alcohol and
several cases of poisoning have occurred
in Manhattan between November / and
December 20. according to official figures
made public tonight by Chief Medical
Examiner Charles Norris. DR.. Norris
declared that in his opinion. these figures
did not nearly represent the full toll
in death and sickness due to taking the
poison as beverage as he believed that
many feaths and illnesses reported as due
to apopleXy. acute abdominal trouble and
other causes were really caused by drink
ng wood alcohol connections.