The New York herald., 1922-02-03
4 STILLS EXPLODE,
HOUSES SET AFIRE
Three Men Hurt in Widely
Separated Blasts in City
and Jersey.
DOLL MAKERS SEIZED
Three Plants and Wine
Found in Long Island
City Building.
2 MORE ALCOHOL DEATHS
Truck With 81 Cases Of Liquor
Captured by Policeman
in Brooklyn.
2 MORE ALCOHOL DEATHS

Three whisky stills exploded in
Brooklyn and Long Island City yes
terday, setting fire to the buildings
in which they We're operated. A fourth
explosion, in which two men were in
jured and the roof of house blown
off. was reported in Elizabeth as hav-
ing occurred Wednesday in Union
Township, Union county, N. j.
Houses in the neighborhood of 2727
Ocean Parkway. Brooklyn, were rocked
by an explosion which resulted in fire
that did $4,000 damage and severely
injured Joseph Weiss of that address
Weiss was arrested by a policeman
as he was running from the house to
get aid for his injuries. He was sent
10 the Coney Island Hospital with in
ternal injuries and burns on his face.
head and arms.
In the attic OF the house. three story
structure, the police found three stills.
one OF eighty gallons capacity and the
others OF forty gallons each. They
also seized go quarts of bottled whisky.
several ten gallon cans of alcohol, two
bags of sugar and several sacks of
empty bottles. At the hospital Weiss
said he recently rented three rooms on
thu top floor to a man named Fisher,
about whom he knew little. He de-
MED any knowledge of the stills.
An explosion and fire at 80 Marion
street, Long Island City. revealed what
the police said was one of the largest
boctlegging distilleries that have been
discovered.
Much Equipment Found.
Three large copper stills set on con-
crete foundations. tTiirty-five five gallon
barrels of denatured alcohol. seven
fifty gallon barrels of denatured al
cohoI, two fifty gallon barrels of wine
and seventy-five one gallon casks OF
wine were found. The explosion blew
off the entire north side of the house.
AS Patrolman Flanagan approached
the three story brick house at 1893 West
Eighth street, Gravesend. an explosion
shattered every window in II. Fire fol-
lowed which did about $3.50 damage.
One still. a barrel of mash and thirty
gallons of alcohol were found.
The explosion near Elizabeth occurred
when a fifty gallon still in q house in
Burnette avenue blew up. Nathan Crys-
tai Jumped from window in the sec
"
fell on Joseph Mandell. occupant Of the
first floor. who had just run out of
tho building with his wife and eight
children. The house was badly dam
aged by fire and a part of the roof was
blown off. Crystal was badly burned
and one of Mandelrs ribs was broken.
Patrolman Pierano discovered still
in a doll factory at 8 Fulton street.
Brooklyn. Pierano seized fifty gallon
still and 200 bottles of whisky and ar
rested the two owners of the factory.
Arthur Melio and Dominic Appeorisini.
Two more wood alcohol deaths were
reported William Space OF 104 South
street, Jersey City. died at the jersey
City Hospita, early in the morning Ac-
scording TO physicians at the hospital,
his wife said he returned home Monday
evening and told her he had been robbed
IN q saloon, where he had fallen asleep
after having taken two drinks. He did
not appear seriously i'll until Wednesday
might Mrs. Space said her husband did
not know where the saloon was.
Added to Alcohol List.
Matthew Cannon OF Falrview, N J..
who was taken III at his home and died
I'm st. NIary's Hospital. -Hoboken, Sun
day. was killed by wood alcohol, It was
announced after an autopsy. Cannon
bad man OF Hoboken'
DR.. Benjamin Schwartz, chief medical
examiner, who performed an autopsy on
the body Of Joseph Swager, wounded ex-
service man found dead In a furnished
room at 631 Third avenue on Saturday,
presumably from gas poisoning, mas or
dered a chemical analysis to be made on
the theory that wood alcohol may have
been the cause Of death.
Gfx aav.f
the star at prohibition headquarters.
Two arrests were made. Agents Stafford.
Saver and Mead reported buying a
drink In saloon at 81 Fourth avenue
and arresting Otto Berkman, owner. and
Henry Meyer, bartender. Patrolrnan
kerwin OF Herbert street station in
Brooklyn seized truck near the Meeker
avenue bridge loaded with fifty-seven
csses labelled "Hll & Hill, from Ken
tuciy." He arrested Andrew Rowe. the
driver Rowe said he was delivering the
liquor 70 man in Queens whom he
could not name for a man in Manhattan
whose name he had forgotten,
Maxwell s. Mattuck. Assistant
United States Attorney. met Chief
Rabbi Benzion Pearl, head OF the Rab-
binical Center in New York yesterday
TO talk over the Governments Campaign
10 end Illegal trafficking In sacramental
wsnes. Rabbi Pearl explained that
frauds which have bees discovered were
due to the fact that rabbis had been
sn the habit of signing delivery sheets
In blank, relying on their secretaries 70
fill In the names OF families In .hAlr
congregations. lie promised that here
after the sheets would be properly
checked up by the rabbis and the head
uuartsr9 OF the rabbinicai association.