The New York herald., 1922-09-08
May Not Wait for Warrants
Will Hit First and
Then Apologize
ANOTHER WOMAN SEIZED
Red Hook Investigation Fails
to Show Source of Wood
Alcohol Supply.

/ -
where IN the Red Hook section OF
Brooklyn killed two more persons yes
| terday, and in spite of numerous raids
| by the police and members Of the Dis
| trict Attorneys staff the authorities
seem to be as far as ever from finding
the actual source of the deadly poison
The deaths now number eleven since
Monday night. and another is dying in
the Kings County Hospital.
The latest victims are Martin Con-
molly, 55, compositor. and his
brother-in-law, Thomas Padden, both
| OF whom died within a few hours OF
each other in their house at so Dixie
man street Connolly came home
| Wednesday night complaining Of pain
lin his eyes and told his brother-in-
law that he had visited an eye and
ear clinic in Manhattan where he had
| been told he would probably go blind
At that time the trouble was diagnosed
as an infection" due to lead poisoning
| Later In the night Padden was threat
ened with the same suffering. and both
men joked about the prevalence of wood
alcohol in the vicinity and facetiousiy
| predicted their respective deaths. The
prophecy came true early yesterday
| Connolly dying first and Padden three
hours later.
| Every place in the block on Conover
| street. that is becoming known as the
plague spot Of the neighborhood on ac-
count of the testimony Of the victims,
was searched by the police under the
personal direction of District Attorney
Ruston All the places adJoin the gro
Gerry store at 149 Conover street con-
Quoted by Mrs. Irmelinda Vatala, who is
under arrest for homicide in connection
with the death of Mrs. Theresa Martin.
| Another Woman Arrested.
The fourth arrest was made when
\ the police took INTO custody Mrs. Mar
rnret Polazzoia of 143 Conover street
| after fnding a chest in her rooms nlleo
with six demijohns and six quart DOT
| ties OF whisky. She was held for vio-
/ lating the Mullen-Gabe act and also
| as material witness in the death OIL
| Connolly. All the liquor taken from
Mrs. Vatala's place has been round to
1 contain wood alcohol, according 70 tne
| District Attorneys office, but they ex-
pect to have some difficulty proving
that Michael Keenan,. with whom Mrs
Martin boarded and who also aied
! bought the poison liquor and drank II.
District-Attorney Ruston said last
night that he regarded the emergency
| So serious that he was considering raid
l Inc every place in Red Hook suspected
of harboring liquor. regardless OF
whether the authorities were provided
with the proper warrants or not. This
1 is situation in which man has to
! hit first and apologize afterwards ne
| said.
a private garage owned by Mrs
| yatala at 139 Wolcott street was raideo
| last night by detectives of the Hamilton
! avenue station and three five gallon
cans. one completely filled, another hall
| filled and the third empty were found
| on the premises. Despite the fact thai
the district is not one populated by
! persons of means, Mrs. Vatala, accord.
| ing to some of the detectives, was able
| to maintain a motor and chauffeur
! and wnen arrested was prosperously
! dressed.
When detectives were searching hei
living rooms her sister arrived and was
apparently greatly excited over the
safety of her sisters belongings. Mrs
vatala. she said. had Jewels and lots
of monye."
The District Attorneys olse prepared
evidence to be presented TO the Grand
Jury to-day in connection with the
Vatala arrest
The Dead.
Tba lief NJ .ba daad 90 ae falloya.
John Kehoe. 156 Conover street.
| Miss Tessie Martin. 1876 Dikeman street
| Mrs. Annie Morris, 1877 Conover street.
| Peter McDermott. 20 Summit street.
Peter Carr, 420 Van Brunt street.
| Edward Burke, 143 Pioneer street.
William Sterlitz, 1877 Conover street.
Michael keenan,. 1875 Dikeman street.
Mrs $. Johnson, 90 Conover street.
Martin Connolly. so Dikeman street.
Thomas Padden. $50 Dikeman street.
Anthonq De Janero was taken to the
Kings County Hospital from his home
Mt $40 Van Brunt street and was found
to be suffering from wood alcohol pois-
oning. He was blind when he reached
the hospital.
DE Janero said he had a few drinks
with some friends In a house on Con-
over street Sunday and Monday night,
but he did not remember the names,
although he could find the house. His
condition is serious and he is believed TO
be dying.
William Coates, a negro, 80 years old.
of Franklin and Summer street Pater-
son. y. j.. died yesterday from an over
dose Of whisky. II was not found that
the liquor was poisoned.
1t was believed at first that Coates
had been victim of foul play. He
was found dead In the yard of his home
BY his wife. She reported to the police
that he had been drinking heavily.