The New York herald., 1922-07-28
EXPLOSION OF STILL
HURTS 5 POLICEMEN
Two Catapulted Through
Window and Six Are
Burned by Flames.
FIVE ARRESTS IN RAID
Victims of Blast Say Woman
Was Waiting for Them
With a Pistol.
TANK HELD 100 GALLONS
Sprays of Flaming Alcohol
Sweep Men at Search in Gel
lar of Jamaica House.
TANK HELD 100 GALLONS

A hundred gallon still exploded late
Yesterday afternoon while policemen
of Chief Inspector Lahey's staff and
the Jamaica precinct were making
raid on the two ssory frame house at
1872 Beaufort avenue, Jamaica. The
explosion shattered the copper sides OF
the still and splashed flaming alcohol
all over the room, burning six police
men, one of them so seriously that he
Is expected to die. Two other police
men at work removing another still
from the house were blown through :
cellar window and badly bruised. The
house caught fire and was destroyed
before firemen arrived.
The most seriously hurt is Detective
Louis ]. Laut of the Chief Inspectors
staff, whose home is in 2422 Ralph
street, Ridgewood. Queens. He was
badly burned and was also cut by
broken glass. Lieut.. Albert Duffy. in
command of the raiding party; BIZ
cycle Patrolman Patrick Harmon o.
the Jamaica precinct, Detectives Jo-
seph O'Brien and Mounted Patrolma1
Herbert Wilson, both of the Jamaica
station, were also badly burned and
were sent to ST. Mary's Hospital with
Laut. Ambulance surgeons attended
Detective William c. Seubert. Patrol
man Leonard Smith and Patrolmal
John Murphy all Of the Jamaica pre-
cinct.
Complaints had been received by the
police that still was being operated al
the Beaufort avenue house, which was
occupied by the family of Carmine Pizza
Find Woman with Pistol.
The detectives said that when they
went to the house they saw Pizza's wife
seated at a front window with a re.
volver in her lap. Lieut.. Duffy ant
Detective Laut entered the house through
q rear cellar window. They said the,
saw still being operated. They wen
to the first floor. where they arrestes
Pizza and his wife. Mrs. Pizza threat
cned to shoot them. they said. but befor'
she could pull the trigger the detective
had swung her husband about so tina
he was between them and the woman
and she did not shoot. She was dis
armed and placed under arrest.
Meanwhile the other policemen hai
entered the house by way of the from
door and had arrested Alexander Bruno
a real estate operator of 213 Libert.
avenue, Jamaica, Mrs. Pizza's father
his son, Anthony Bruno. 1855 Beaufor
avenue, Woodhaven. and John Defio o
56 West Catherine street. Jamaica. The,
were charged with violating the prohibi
tion enforcement laws. and Mrs. Pizz;
was charged with assault and with VIC
lating the Sullivan law.
Big Still Explodes.
Several of the policemen searched th'
drst floor and in one room they foun'
hundred gallon still in operation
Near by were three small children o
Pizza's. Meanwhile Hannah and Smitl
had gone into the cellar. They haf
hardly got there and the three children
had hardly been removed when the biz
still ON the first floor exploded. Detec
tive Laut was standing close to it ant
the blazing alcohol was sprayed all ovei
his body.
Detective Edward Nietzel OF the Chic
Inspectors office. the only one of thu
raiding party to escape injury, sent {
call for ambulances and for the fir
department. and then hustled the pris
oners out and into a patrol wagon. Sew
eral OF the injured men, who were no
SO badly hurt. helped him guard then
until other patrolmen arrived.