The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-13
TWO MEN PICKED Up
POISONED BY LIQUOR
Found Lying in Cutters,
Condition Critical
One Is Blind.
SIN ARE INDICTED
Rum Violations Charged,
Homicide Evidence Be-
ing Excluded.
ALL RED HOOK CASES
One Defendant, a Woman, Is
Held in 100000 AL
together.
ALL RED HOOK CASES

Two more men were picked up in
the streets of New York last night
suffering from wood alcohol poisoning,
and each of them is now in a critical
condition at Bellevue Hospital. They
gave their names as John Hopkins, an
! ircnworker of 1870 Park Row, who was
found unconscious in front of IL Mott
street. and Otto Wallerstein of 80
Third avenue, who was found uncon-
scious in the gutter at st. Marks
place and Eighth street Hopkins re-
gained consciousness after being taken
to thu hospital but is blind. Physicians
said that both men had been drinking
wood alcohol.
The cases of Hopkins and Waller
stein makes three to come to the at
tention of the Manhattan authorities
since the store of wood alcohol was
sent forth from the Red Hook section
of Brooklyn The first case was that
of Raymond Kirkpatrick of 35 Cleve-
land street, who died in Bellevue Hos
| pital On Sunday. He was found un-
| COliSCiOuS SATURDAY Ill lIOnl III GUl
East Thirteenth street.
Judge Martin r. Manton. United
States Circuit Court Of Appeals, win
hear "a motion tomorrow made by Vic
tor House, Assistant United States At
| torney, to close up the Fifty-eighth
Street Restaurant Company. Inc. for
merly known as Reisenwebers, alleg-
ing repeated violations Of the Volstead
act in the up stairs restaurant part
of the property.
Judge Manton signed an order July
6 last directing the United States Mar
shall to put locks on the restaurant.
but directed that such action should
! not be taken for six months on the
condition that intoxicating liquors
should not be manufactured, sold, bar
tered, kept or otherwise disposed of
on the property. This gave the de-
PENDANTS the right to appear and show
there had been no violations during
the probationary period
/ The Kings County Grand Jury re-
turned thirteen indictments yesterday
women, as a result of the investigation
| that followed the death of twelve per-
sons from wood alcohol" whisky OBJ
tanned in the Red Hook section of
Brooklyn
The indictments. however merely
! charge violation of the Mullen-Gage
law and the operation of public nui-
| sances. Having this In mind. the Grand
Jury stated in a presentment to County
| Judge Martin:
1--WE have found such indictments as
are warranted by the available legal
| evidence. 1t is to be regretted that
homicide evidence is impossible because
those who are possessed of the only
| evidence that would warrant the indct-
ments for homicide are dead"
The indicted are Mrs. Irmelnda Va
tala. who runs a grocery store at 149
Conover street; Michael Cafiero, 362
Van Brunt street. a clerk in Mrs. Va
taa's store Michael Auletti lis VOL
colt street: Mrs. Jennie johnson. who
runs restaurant at fS9 Conover street:
| William Wobbe, 70 Sullivan street, and
sixth person, man, who has not yet
| been arrested.
| Mrs. Vatala faces Ave indictments.
They charge her with having liquor in
her possession at the grocery shop
selling liquor. maintaining public nui-
sance possession OF liquor In her garage
at 139 Wolcott street and maintaining
there a public nuisance She pleaded
not guilty to all indictments and was
held In s25.000 bail for trial.
Michael keenan,. who died from poi
soning, told the police on his deathbcd
that he bought the liquor at Mrs.
Vataa's shop and shared 1t with Mrs
Teresa Martin. who also died. at ner
home at 135 Dikeman street Chemica,
analysis revealed that some of the
liquor seized at Mrs. vatala's shop con-
tanned as high at 32 per cent wood
| alcohol She was held in $4,000 pail
on each Indictment
Cafiero. her clerk. pleaded not guilty
/ 70 one indictment charging the selling
or liquor. He was held In $4,000 bail
The police say he admitted selling liquor
70 keenan, on the day in question. He Is
also declared to have said that Mrs
Vatala told him to sell liquor kept be-
ninu ,ne counter at 30 cents a half pint
and 81 quart.
Auletti was indicted for manufactui-
ing and possessing liquor and maintain
ing nuisance at lis Wolcott street
lie owns the building. District Attorney
huston In raid found a still capable
or turning out 100 gallons a day on
the third floor there. Auetti was a
longshoreman, say the police. not many
months ago. lie is now reputed to b..
wealthy and the owner OF considerable
hed HOOK real estate. He was held IN
$1,000 bail.
Wobbe was indicted for maintaining
nuisance at his home. A lar OF
alcohol and an empty still were founa
there. He was held In $1,000 bail.
III the defendants are ready we W 4,
go to trial next Monday" said AS
sistant District Attorney Marshall Sny-
der yesterday. He said that Mrs. Va
tala, II found guilty on all indictments
pending against her. can receive two and
a half years imprisonment and be fine "A
"a OOO