New-York tribune., 1921-09-10
35 Federal Officers Quen
326 Greek Sailors i'm
Biggest Battle Harbor
Has Known i'm Years
Victim Sinks With
$4,000 in Pocket
Chief of Narcotic Squad
Commits Suicide as He
Finishes Arrest of 800

Il IN Il O0E V1 &0OV
Thirty-fve government narcotic
drug and liquor raiders subdued a
crew of 1926 Greek sailors, on the
deck of the Grecian liner King Alex
snder, at Pier %, foot of Atlantic
Avenue, Brooklyn, before daylight
yesterday morning and drove the
crew below, in the widest pistol and
Delaying pin battle New York's
waterfront has ever produced. AS
result two are dead, fourteen are
wounded and more than three hun
dred were arrested, while $1,000,000
in drugs and liquors and the 25 ,000-
ton ocean liner have been seized.
The raid was the third on the same
ship since September g.
Fifty policemen and five patrol
wagons worked an hour and half
transporting prisoners to the Fed
eral Court rooms in Brooklyn. Three
ambulances carried wounded to the
Long Island College Hospital.
Frank j. Fitzpatrick, chief of the
Federal narcotic squad, three hours
after the battle, retired to a water
front washroom. and committed
suicide.
Found Shot Through Heart
He was found shot through the
heart, with two chambers of his re-
volver empty. He had reloaded it
after the battle. His thumb and
hand were powder burned and his
face Scared.
Sabbas Mentinhs, of Athens. fourth
officer of the King Alexander, was shot
and went overheard in the height of
the battle. When he toppled into the
Bay he had $4,000 in his clothes
James Brennan watchman on the pier.
escaped during the battle He is
charged with accepting a $500 bribe.
United States District Attorney WAL
caused by police launch opening ire
on the launch of the Federal raiders,
who were mistaken by the police for
smugglers. The crew then opened Are
and the government men were caught
between the fire of the crew and that
of the police Bullets penetrated the
roof of their launch and spattered the
side Of the big liner
Caught in this cross-hrc, the govern
ment men ascended single Jacobs
ladder twenty-five feet to the deck en-
gagged the crew in a pitched fight and
drove them down the matches. The
raiders stood complete masters of the
situation and in possession of the
seized liner when reinforcements ar
rived.
Will Investigate Suicide
1t wss fight that will live in ths
maritime history of the Pert of New
York, and attracted the attention Of
pfficial Washington. The suicide OF
Fitzpatrick viii be investigated by the
Internal Revenue Bureau. The follow
ing dispatch was received last night:
Upon receipt of report from New
York of the suicide Of Frank j. Fitz-
patrick, chief narcotic agent for that
city, following a raid on the Greek
steamship King Alexander. Colonel O.
u. Forrer. executive assistant to the
chief of the narcotic division of the
Internal Revenue Bureau. is herewith
ordered to New York by Commissioner
Blair, with instructions to make an in
vestigaton.'
Frank j. Fitzpatrick was originally
drug clerk in Waterbury, Conn. He was
thirtyone years old His father,
brother and two sisters survive, and
are on their way to New York to take
charge of the body Fitzpatrick had
been losing much sleep because OF poor
health and because of night and day
intensive Investigations. 1t was said
yesterday that he had not been in bed
FOR three nights because of pressure of
work
Four weeks ago, during a conhden-
tlal conversation with a Tribune re-
porter, he said: Il am glad they sent
ne to New York and gave me enough
work to keep me here. | made investi-
cations IN Connecticut. and while there
was offered a $4,000 bribe. | refused
this and have line on one man If
they bother me further will make ar
rests and give you the story"
First Ocean Liner Seized
The King Alexander is the Arst
ocean liner 30 be seized under the
Harrison anti-drug law and the Vol.
stead prohibition law, both of which
provide for seizure of any carrier The
craft has been under surveillance dur
ing several recent trips as suss
pected general smuggler. She is owned
and operated by the Byron Steamship
Company, of London. ard is of British
registry. The contraband goods seized
in three raids were carried in addi-
ton to a manifested cargo Of general
freight, and without the knowledge Of
the owners, who are IN no way in1
volved in present charges, so far rs
Government Attorney Collins has
stated. Practically every generally
used narcotic drug, including hashcesh,
recent marketable drug in this ecun-
try, was found on board
The Federal courtroom in Brooalyn
was crowded yesterday afternoon with
more than three hundred of the Off,
Ecors and crew of this liner. including
one woman. a stewardess. Their app
pearance and garb were diverse, max,
ing them appear rather rough looks
ing assembiagc. They wore all mannes
Of costumes, from the nasty uniforml
re e3sf af