The New York herald., 1922-09-16
POISON Drink BLINDS
And KILLS TWO MORE
Red Hook Plague Appears
This Time Along Manhat-
/. tan Waterfront.
ALCOHOLISM GROWING
Copeland Reports 1863
Deaths So Far i'll 1922 to
119 for All of 1921.
RUSTON WIDENS RAIDS
Chicago Man, Fearing Hs Is
Poisoned, Shows Prosecutor
Brooklyn Speakeasy.
RUST0N WIDENS RAIDS

Wood alcohol, which blinds before
killing and which has been ravaging
Red Hook in Brooklyn and parts OF
New Jersey, reappeared on the Man
haitian waterfront yesterday and
caused the death Of two men.
Sightess and almost unconscious
William Williams, As years old, was
found at 1880 p. M. on the sidewalk in
front of the boarding house at 1S6
West street. where he lived. He died
in Bellevue Hospital at o'clock
The other victim, about 40 years old
unidentified but apparently a long
shoreman. staggered along Pier %
East River. at 5 o'clock, crying I'm
blind" He became insensible while a
policeman was on the way to the pier
and died before an ambulance could be
called. DR.. George Holman, Deputy
Medical Examiner, attributed both
deaths to wood alcohol, the source OF
which has not been ascertained.
Deaths from alcoholism are increas-
ing. Health Commissioner Copeland re-
ported yesterday. In the first seven
months of this year they numbered 1863,
compared with ll9 for the whole of last
year There also were deaths from
wood alcohol poisoning IL the first seven
months OF this year and from grain
alcohol poisoning. Dr. Copeland re-
marked that from 1910 to 1920 there
was steady decrease in deaths caused
by alcohol. Between September ! and
September this year six from wood
alcohol were reported in Brooklyn.
Victim Leads Raiders.
Leslie S. Kinnard. 40. a Chicago civil
engineer and advertising man, staying
at the Herald Square Hotel. Manhattan.
was taken to a place at 339 Hudson ave-
nue. Brooklyn, several weeks ago and
bought some whisky. Thursday he went
there alone and bought a drink. He
knew nothing from that time until late
yesterday afternoon, when he came out
of a stupor as he was walking along
Myrtle avenue. He had been reading
about wood alcohol deaths and as his
eyes We're weak he thought he was
poisoned and went to the Office of Dis
trict Attorney Ruston. Or. Ernest ".
Vaughan. assistant medical examiner.
suffering from wood alcohol poisoning.
Kinnard went with Assistant Distri It
Attorney Marshall Snyder and detec-
tive to the place in Hudson avenue,
where he purchased half pint of white
whisky with a marked 81 bill. The place
was raided and Albert Addobbo, said to
be the proprietor was arrested. Kin
rard was taken to the Kings County
Hospital. He said 500 which was sewed
in his coat was stolen when he was
wandering.
and officers have reported the sailors
are getting bad liquor at nearby resorts.
Brooklyn Cleanup Planned.
District Attorney Ruston said that
plans have been made by his office for
a general cleanup of all suspected
sources of wood alcohol in Brooklyn" ("
Raids will be made by districts and will
be similar to those in Red Hook. Mr..
Ruston has received more than a hum
dred letters referring to speakeasies and
boofleeging. One letter was signed "A
Broken-Hear Mother" Another ended
with "A Sorrowing Family" and third.
"A Sad Sister" Mr. Ruston said
1--WE had hoped To go through with
this crusade quietly. The search will
be made as thorough as the District At
torney's office ana the police can make
1t. Just what the plans are / cannot
disclose now. but they were carefully
worked out and l am sure they will
prove effective. The terrible tragedy o
Red Hook must not be repeated in othei
parts of Brooklyn"
County Judge Martin signed orders
for the forfeiture of utensils and
liquor gathered in raids on sever
Brooklyn houses. -Four women were ar.
rested in the raids. The spois of tho
raids consisted Of twelve stills. $40 gal
Ions OF denatured alcohol 100 gallons OF
hooch. twelve stoves. twelve boilers and
sixteen barrels of mash. All OF this
will he destroyed
Federal prohibition enforcement
agents said that they were made i'll or
Thursday by some of the hooch they
purchased In downtown Brooklyn
saloons before arresting four owners or
charges Of selling liquor.
The men arrested. all of whom wer
arraigned before United States Commits
sioner Hennessy and held in 81 900 bal
each. are; John Murphy. n Tultor
street. Frank Dondero, l23 Furmar
street: Daniel Dinnen, 1i9 Furman street
and Isadore Rosenthal. 81 Gunner
avenue