New-York tribune., 1922-09-06
foisoned Rum Kills Six IN
Brooklyn, Makes One Blind:
= Women Held as SIayers

Gause Roundup; Suspect
Says She Bought Deadly
Potable From Strangers
-Four men and two women are dead
and another man, made blind, is be-
heved to be dying as a result of drink
ing poison whisky in Brooklyn. Two
women and man are locked up on
charges of homicide in connection with
the deaths. Another man is held on
charge of possessing liquor District
Attorney Ruston and the police worked
all last night in their efforts to round
up the bootleggers who sold the liquor
The dead ars Edward Burke, thirty
three years old, of 140 Pioneer Street
Edward Strelitz, twenty-four, of 1877
Conover Street; John Kehoe, sixty
seven. of 1853 Conover Street; Mrs.
Anna Morris, forty-three, of 1877 Con-
over Street; Mrs. Teresa Martin thirty
six, of 1876 Dikeman Street, and Peter
McDermott, fory-five, of 10 Summit
Street. In Kings County Hospital
Michal keenan,, forty-one, Of 1876 Dixie
man Street, lies totally blind. He is
not expected to live.
Burke and Strelitz died on Monday
and the others succumbed yesterday.
Woman Grocer Prisoner
Two persons are in Jail accused of
homicide in connection with the death
of Mrs. Martin. They are Mrs.
lrmelinda Vatala, thirty-three years
Street, and her clerk, Michael Cafiero.
Al heir arrest followed the reported pur-
chase of half-pint of whisky by
Keenan,, at the direction of Patrolman
John Neary, of the Hamilton Avenue
station.
Mrs. vafala said that she had pur-
chased the liquor four days ago from
two strange men for her own use. She
denied that she had sold any of it.
Cafiero, Assistant District Attorney
Wilson said, admitted that he had sold
Keenan, liquor on several occasions.
On information furnished by Edwin
Mattson, of 247 Forty-ninth Street,
the police raided the home of Mrs.
Adeline Reale, forty years old, of 112
Sullivan Street. Mattson said that on
Sunday night he and Burke, one of the
victims, bought liquor from Mrs. Reale.
She was taken to the Hamilton Ave
nue. station and charged with homicide.
Neary was on his beat early last
night when he was accosted by keenan,,
who told him that a woman was dead
at 1876 Dikeman Street The policeman
found Mrs. Martin dead in bed, an
empty half-pint bottle on the table be-
side her. Keenan, told Neary he had
bought the whisky the night before
and-had shared 1t with Mrs. Martin.
My eyes have been hurting me all
day." he added. II can hardly see.,
Neary asked Keenan, to make an
otner purchase of liquor at the same
place he had bought it Monday night.
keenan, consented and, it is said, paid
81 for a small bottle, which the police
declare he bought from Cafiero in the
grocery. Neary then arrested the
clerk and the woman owner of the
store. keenan, was sent to the hos
pital
Under command of Captain O'Con-
nor, of the Madison Avenue station,
detectives visited the apartment Of
Mrs. zatala over the store. There,
they say, they found quantity of
liquor in the following containers:
Seven five-gallon cans, three demiiohns,
eleven quart bottles, six pints. two
ten-gallon kegs and several ordinary
tin cans, some of them empty. The
entire lot was taken to the station for
analysis.
Husband Also Is Sought
Mrs. vatala's husband is being
sought by the police. Giro Laura,
owner of bicycle shop in the rear of
the grocery also was arrested on the
charge of possessing liquor 1t was
said four quarts were found in his
shop. The two other prisoners were
questioned at the Poplar Street station
by Assistant District Attorney Wilson.
The medical examiners office estab-
lished the fact that the deaths of
Burke and Strelitz were due to poison
liquor and District Attorney Ruston
ordered the funerals delayed until a
chemical analysis has been made of
the digestive organs of the victims.
Round Up Intoxicated Men.
In their efforts to trace the source
of the poison liquor the police are
picking up all intoxicated persons
found in the Red Hook district. By /
o'clock this morning three stations
Hamilton Avenue, Poplar Street and
and those arrested later were taken
to other stations, The police ques-
toned each man arrested, hoping to
find out where he bought his liquor.
Numerous places were visited in the
district where whisky selling WIS re-
ported to be going on. Little evidence
was obtained, the bootleggers appar
emily taking good care that their sup
ply should not be found, the police said.