The New York herald., 1921-12-29
SIX XBADRUMDEAT&,
SEEK CERMANSALOR
Police Say Suspect Con-
fessed Buying Fatal
Stuff at Dock.
SHIPS TO BE COMBED
Two More Meli Listed as
Probable Victims of HOli-
day Drinking.
KICK IN 'WILD WHISKY
Two Swigs; Blankness: Wreck
of Barber Shop: Three
Months to Jail.
KICK IN 'WILD WHISKY

Detectives investigating the source
of the wood alcohol which with two
deaths yesterday, brought the list of
victims to six in this city since Christ
mas Day made an arrest last night
which, they believe. will account for
the liquor that was sold in at least
two of the cases reported. Informa-
ton which the police say they have
obtained from Martin Ryan, aged 10,
Of sol West Fifty-second street, a
longshoreman. indicates that the al
cohol was bought from a German
sailor whose ship docked recently at
Pier SO. Hudson River.
Ryan was arrested by Detectives
Cronin and Maloney late yesterday af-
ternoon on a charge Of homicide and
locked up in the West Sixty eighth
street station. The detectives say
Ryan confessed to them that he re-
Gently purchased three gallons of al
cohol from the sailor and that he sold
it to John Horan. an employee of the
Department of Parks, who was ar
rested Tuesday on suspicion Of having
been in possession Of the stuff that
caused the death of John and Frank
Tiffany Of 206 West Sixty-fourth
street. Horan lives at the same ad-
dress. He denies buying the alcohol
from Ryan,.
The police last night lined UP some
sailors from vessels docked near the
foot Of West Forty sixth street, but the
prisoner could not find the man who
sold him the alcohol. There will be a
more complete inspection to-day, when
the police will ask the cooperation of
the Federal authorities, who will search
the vessels.
Big Profit on Poison.
According to the detectives, Ryan paid
"a gallon for the alcohol and sold IT
| to Koran for $12 q gallon.
Walter Smith Of $50 Pearl street was
! picked up at Forty-eighth street and
| Third avenue where he was found lying
with a fractured skull. Medical exam
! ination indicated also that he had been
poisoned by wood alcohol. The body
was taken to the morgue. DR.. Charles
Norris, chief medical examiner, said
that chemical analysis would be made
also In the case of Walter Young of 166
West 140th street, who died in the Har-
lem Hospital Tuesday. 1t Is not certain
whether his death was due to morphine
or to wood alcohol.
Autopsies performed yesterday on the
bodies OF John and Francis Tiffany of
| 2o6 West Sixty-fourth street, the
brothers who died Tuesday from liquor
they drank on Christmas Day. showed
conclus.vely that wood alcohol caused
the deaths, DR.. Norris said. The same
result was obtained In an autopsy OH
the body of Mrs. Frances Ryan Of 105
West Sixtieth street, who died Tuesday
from liquor she drank at a Christmas
party which resulted in the death of
another victim, Edward Gillece OF 51O
East Seventeenth street.
Found Lying I'm street.
Edward Lanigan OF 26 Chapel street,
Brooklyn. was taken to Bellevue Hos
pital yesterday morning after having
been picked up in front of 20 East
Forty-second street. Although it ia be-
lieved he drank wood alcohol, his condi-
ton last night was described as fairly
good.
The records in the Chief Medical Ex-
aminers office show. that deaths re-
ported as due to wood alcohol poisoning
have been decreasing since prohibition.
There were fifty-four such deaths in
1919, in 1920 there were nineteen and
for this year the total had reached
thirteen last night, with three days of
the year still to come. Prior to the
group of cases being reported just now
there was wood alcohol death on No
vember 20. after almost five months
during which no deaths from that cause
were reported.
Dr. NJ. l.. F1enming. Superintendent OF
Bellevue. said he believes the decrease
can be attributed 20 the caution in,-
planted in drinkers by the publicity
given to wood alcohol cases and to the
care taken by bootleggers. whom DIR.
t1emming believes should be credited
with unwiilingness TO cause death
through poison. He thinks that the
majority OF wood alcohol cases are re-
ported because they are usually cases
In which an ambulance is summoned
end the patient Is taken 10 a hospital.
second Drink Sets Him Mad.
Two drinks CT what | . known as
wild whisky resulted yesterday in the
wrecking OF Tony Corello's barber shop.
at 1f9 East Ninety-sixth street. and the
arrest OF John Keene OF 235 East
Ninety fourth street. charged with
malicious mischief. keene. who was
sentenced by Magistrate Sweetser in
Harlem court to three months In the
worlShouse. remembers nothing after
the second drink.
According 10 tho police, Keene. reach
ing the barber shop few minutes after
leaving q nearby saloon. where he had
been drinking with former buddy"
wrecked the barber chairs and threw
much furniture into the street. He was
chased and captured by Patrolman
Iiaverman of the East Eighty-eighth
street station.
Twenty arrests were made by enforce
rnunt agents In Brooklyn yesterday. The
saloonkeepers were taken by surprise
There had been no arrests over Christ
mas. United States Commissioner Nc
Cnbe held the proprietors who were ar
rested in $1,000 bail each for possess
ing liquor and maintaining public nui-
sanccs The bartsnders were held In
$500 each FOR selling. A dozen saloons
In various parts OF the borough were
visited. under the direction of William
y. Lord, in charge Of the Brooklyn Of
flee. Twelve arrests were made and one
summons was served In Manhattan.
General Agents Estes. Grill. Wien and
Fabricius. who returned from Washing
ton yesterday. repeated the statement
issued at prohibition headquarters re-
be the dryest ever.