The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-12-11
POISON LIQUOR
KILLS 10 IN
DISTRICT
Bad Rum on Christmas Market
May Increase Toll, Health
Department Warns.
continued trOm Flrst Paee.l

Il AN~OeASe~AS-SNA
to date ''bad booze'' has caused
4 2.l65 deaths this year.
4 Il this figure is applicable 20 the
entire United States Il means fusel
| oil, ether, wood alcOnoI and other
Ingredients Of 1923 Iiuuor have
\ claimed thousands Of other victims
j 600.
BOOtleggeETs Days Ahead.
Two big occasions for the boot
Logger Christmas and New Year
Day--are just ahead and the cOro-
nerss and ambulance men all over
the land are getting ready Tor the
rush.
The 2,165 deaths reported to In
/ ternational News Service were de-
| clared to be a conservative esti-
mate, and, in many instances. were
official figures.
Philadelphia reported 400 deaths
attributable directly to poison rum.
The coroner said this figure was
conservative"
'sMOOnshine" Cases.
Practically ali cases are the tyne
known as 'mOOnshine' poisoning
he said. The effect IL more pro-
found and more often fatal, and
survivors commonly show mental
deterioration after few sprees."
Today the country faces flood
Eof liquor. At least thirty boats
are In the rum armada" OF the
Jersey coast. and thousands OF piIlts
and quarts are run In by small
craft every night and foggy day.
Some idea Of the amount Of booze
off the Atlantic shore IL shown by
Il n
schooner OF los tons registry, was
captured with q cargo estimated
to be worth $3.50, 900. OF the thirty
boats in the rum fleet. one has q
registry of $3.50 tons, another
3.S7S tons and third 1850 tons.
These three have q tonnage 119
times as great as the Zeehund and
there are tWenty-seven other boats
in the fleet and more coming
daily.
The Government Is sending more
custom boats to aid the four now
trying to keep the Jersey and Long
Island shores dry. At Atlantic
Highlands, N. j., the whiskey base,
are $50 Federal agents, State police
and county agents trying TO keep
the landed booze from getting
through.
VUE O0U10on 0UEucEs
Thousands OF gallons are coming
over the Canadian border. Nine dry
agents are trying to stop the flow
! into New York State.
Thousands OF cases are said to
have been brought through safely
| In the past month" says e. SYRIA
cuse report.
Albany, Buffalo, and the Lake
States report floods OF Canadian
ale and whfskey flowing through
| from Canada. The Atlantic and
Gulf ports are trying to foil the
rum ships.
On the Mexican border rangers
are trying to stop teQuila and Chi
huahua beer from getting by. In
land States have their ''mOonshine.
Another 400 deaths, the coroner
reports, were due to alcoholism 40
a contributing cause as In pfleu.
monia and similar diseases induced
by bad booze.
New York city has had 3s3
deaths already this year as COM
pared with 295 for all Of 1922. In
Chicago, Health Commissioner Her.
man N. Bundesen credits liquor
with 2e5, tabulated thus: Whiskey,
22O; ether beer, 45: gin, Z; others.
Is, and wine, 0.
Detroit had 116 deaths; Cleve-
land, 90; Pittsburgh, 81; Kansas
City, SO; Buffalo, 40; Portland, IS,
and Des Moines, 80, according to
their police and health department
records.
Eighteen Reported Here.
Other reports were: Seattle, %;
st. Louis, 10; Washington, IS; Los
Angeles, IS; Denver, 16; San Fran
cisco, IS; Knoxville, S; Atlanta, 5:
Birmingham, 4; Albany, 4; Nash
vile, 2: Norfolk, 2.
In addition, estimates for Ohio
were 400; Iowa, 100; Colorado, 75;
Indiana, So; Wyoming, 60, and New
Mexico, 3. In the nineteen counties
forming the Syracuse enforcement
district in New York, there have been
thirty-five deaths and 100 hospital
cases.
In New York city last year ar.
proximately 1000 alcoholics went to
hospitals for treatment. Figures
VIII be higher this year, according to
the health department.
Most victims who come out Of hos
pitfalls ARE never the same" accord
Ing to DR.. Francis j. Gerty, superin-
tendent Of the psychopatic hospital
at Chicago.
In Chicago, Chief Of Police Nor
gan N. Collins says:
There is nothing to stop the all
night celebration New Years Eve
because we are powerless to close
the cafes at q. M"
| "lzzy" Einstein, of New York,
Government sleuth of a thousand
DISCUSSES, is reported to be some.
where on the Pacific coast closing
up cafes and "speak easies." Down
In Texas the Rangers are nassing
on the border.
Much MOOnshine Reported.
San Francisco expects a Flying
squadron" of prohibition agents for
christmas and New Years raids.
Atlanta has warned customers
against poison stuff" on the mar
ket. Prices are going up at Nash
vile.
Norfolk reports little from ships
but much moonshine" and Knox
vile has a similar situation.
| Detroit Is in the midst of a. dry
campaign and claims are made that
the booze supply has been cut in
half. Federal agents are already
ra1ding in Los Angeles.
Fifty State troopers have been
sent to Mamtramck, Mich, de-
clared to be a 'sore spot of law
violation" by Federal Judge.
i would not be surprised" the