The New York herald., 1921-09-10
five shot IN BATTLE
ABOARD drug ship;
RAIDER KILLS SELF
Member of Crew browns as
Federal Agents Join in
Hand to Hand Fight.
200 SHOTS ARE FIRED
Contraband Seized Valued
at Probably $1,OOO,0O0,
Including Liquors.
BLAIR ORDERS INQUIRY
Harbor Police Said to Have
Fired Into Melee Fearing
River Piracy.
BLAIR ORDERS INQUIRY

Y
Internal Revenue, issued orders in
washington last night for an investi
cation into the suicide yesterday morn
Ing Of Frank ]. Fitzpatrick, chief mar
cotic agent in this city. soon after the
raid on the Greek steamship King
| Alexander, roored to Pier 90, Brook
lyn, In which one member Of the crew
Is believed to have been drowned, five
others shot and a score made pris-
oners. The only explanation obtain
able for Fitxpatrick's act was that he
had been in i'll health for months and
the exciting pistol battle probably
brought on an attack of temporary
insanity
The battle, which was accompanied
by a hand to hand combat with black
jacks and Delaying pins. probably was
the most spectacular that has been
staged in New York harbor In years
Twenty-Five Federal booze and mar
cotic agents faced a hundred Greek
seamen and the fight became three
cornered when harbor policemen
thinking river pirates were at work
opened fire at the agents. More than
200 shots were exchanged.
Arrest Of 326 Of Crew.
An air Of mystery was thrown about
the raid, In which booze and drugs
variously valued at between 100000
and 81, 100000 were seized. by the sui
eide Of Fitzpatrick He was in the
thick Of the fight, but escaped uninjured
The arrests had been made. booze and
nazcotics seized and the agents wcrs
about to 30 home when he clipped intc
4 the wash room OF the Atlantic avenue
ferryhousc and nred two shots through
his body. one penetrating the heart.
The raid and suicide Of Fftzpatrics
started Investigations by both the Fed.
eral and municipal authorities. Wallace
E. J. Collins. United States Attorney for
Brooklyn. started one James M. Power
United States Marshal, another, and
Police Inspector Sweeney Of the
| Eleventh district a third. The first
move was the arrest Of the entire crew,
326 officers and men. They were carted
to the Federal Building Brooklyn, In
patrol wagons and were crowded inc
the Federal District Court room and
questioned by Assistant United States
attorneys through interpreters.
Mr.. Collins said later that the Fed
eral agents had been informed weeks
ago that the King Alexander wou.d
carry large stores of liquors and drugs
from Athens to New York Similar iir-
4
toms authorities and the latter searched
the vessel when she arrived here Sep
tembcr l. In this raid so bottles OF
cocaine, IL packages Of opium. 3 pack
ages Of hashish, -272 bottles Of booze, 5
cases Of liquor essence and packages
Of unidentified drugs were confiscated.
! While the customs authorities and
revenue agents had the same informa-
tion It develops that they worked inde-
pendcntly Fitzpatrick and Ralph Oyler.
who Jointly commanded the drug agents.
planned a raid on the King Alexander.
Negotiations frst were carried on, Mr..
Collins said, with Sabbas Mentinhs,
fourth officer, who Is missing and Is be
lieved 10 have fallen overheard during
the fight.
/
proach the vessel early yesterday morn
ing in a launch, Two flashes of a
pocket light we're to be the signal and
the lighting OF one OF the forward port
holes was to be the answer. Oyler and
Fitzpatrick were to look over the booze
and drugs and then the matter Of price
was TO be agreed upon.
| Police Launch Appears.
The launch appeared at the appointed
| hour and the signal was given, but a
short distance away WAS Police Launch
No. s, in charge OF Sergeant David Gass,
which had followed the Federal agents,
thinking them pirates. down the East
River. The Federal agents had put out
| from City Island. rope ladder was
| dropped over the side and Oyler ac-
companicd by Peter Raeger and William
Kissick went aboard the vessel.
! on deck they found thirty men. they
said. Juggling booze and bags filled with
narcotics. The STUFF was looked over
and II was agreed $500 would be paid
on the spot and that the remaining
| $4,000 OF the purchase price would be
turned over when the booze and drugs
were safely aboard the launch. large
derrick rigged UP on the deck began
|
these were landed safely on the launch
but the fourth fell into the water.
The police launch was observing this
and according to Mr.. Collins. opened
fire. Inspector James ~ Hallock OF
the marine division of the Police De-
partmcnt denied any shots were fired
by the police. but both Mr.. Collins and
the Federal agents insist there were.
Twelve agents were In the launch and
at the first fusillade they started up
the rope ladder amid rain Of lead.
The police then drew closer, recognized
the other launch az the Eagle OF the
United states Revenue Service and with
drew.
While the agents were scampcring up
the ladder their comrades on deck were
being attacked by the crew. Shots were
fred In all directions. Another squad OF
! agents. who had been waiting In Column
bia street. heard the shots land ran