The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-12-30
POISON \! LIQUOR
KILLS 800 IN
|. n. Y. THIS YEAR
Twice as Many Deaths From
Alcoholism as in Wet Eng.
land and Wales
LAST YEAR s TOTAL 513
Other Cities Report Heavy
Liquor Death TOll-G0v-
ernment Is Criticized
LAST YEAR S TOTAL 513

New York, Dec. 3O.-GR-1ndica-
tions today we're that the death toll
in New York city from liquor this
year would exceed 500, including "a
since Christmas.
Health Commissioner Harris an
nounces there were 724 deaths from
alcoholism for the first 81 weeks Of
the year, figure which, he said,
represented more than twice as many
deaths from alcoholism as in the
whole of wet England and Wales,
with a population of 3s,O00,OOO and
nearly four times as many as in wet
Australia, with population about
equal to that of this city.
The total Of alcoholic deaths in
New York so far this year is greater
than any year since 1910. the next
highest year being 1916 when 687
deaths were recorded. Last years
total was 5l3.
32S Deaths in Chicago
Reports to New York newspapers
tabulatc victims Of liquor in other
cities during the year. Unofficially,
1898 deaths have ben reported in New
York state; in Chicago there have
been 1923.
In Philadelphia. Coroner Frederick
Schwartz, Jr., said that while only
$50 deaths from alcohol were shown
by official records during the year
he had evidence that ut least l5C
more died from that cause. Reports
from other cities we're Boston las; St
Louis Sc; Pittsburgh 1870: Baltimore
II; Los Angeles 30; Minneapolis 38;
Seattle 23; Cincinnati 43; Columbu:
| 8; Omaha 10; Detroit 12l.
Orville S. Poland, head of the lcga
department Of the state Anti-Saloo1
League, has offered the services o!
his organization to relatives of per
sons dying from alcoholic poisoning
with the aim of securing legal redres!
for them from bootleggers.
Senator James A. Reed Of Missouri
in telegram to the New York Ameri
can today, criticises the government
! for poisoning Of alcohol and says tina
''only one possessing the instincts O.
| q wild beast would desire to kill o.
render blind the man who takes |
drink Of liquor, even though he pur
chased it from one violating the pro
hibitory statutes"
CHEMISTS PREPARE
NEW YEAR SURPRISE
Washington, Dec. 30-(P--Havinl
scrapped perhaps half dozen o
more fomulas for denaturing indus
trial alcohol because bootleg chem
lists found q way to make it palatable
the governments prohibition tube
testers are preparing New Yea
surprise on the rum running gentr,
but not without loud orders from tn
wet forces.
Announcement Of the surprise
which will be in the form Of nev
denaturant with . more powerful
alcohol wallop, followed q statemen
by James M. Doran. chief prohibition
chemist, in which he took exception
to claims that wood alcohol now use
| to adulterate commercial alcohol ha,
/ caused the numerous holiday death
among drinkers, and held that to
rapid drinking and too much of It q
one gulp was the chief cause of tn
Less Poisonous But Distasteful
The new formula calls for doubl
wood alcohol content, or four pc
cent, but with the extraction o
prodines and other chemicals no,
used, chemists hope to make the in
dustrial product less poisonous an
at the same time so distayteful tina
bootleg clients will seal disdainfu
pair Of lips If offered . flash Q
the doctored liquid.
The effect Of the change, however
DR.. Doran said, will make it impos
siblc for bootleggers to completed,
distill the wood alcohol out of tn
industrial product. He added tina
such a small quantity Of wood alco
hol, even If drunk, would not caus
serious injury, but Senator Edwards
Democrat, New Jersey, wet leader
took another view, charging the gov
ernment with forming an "unholy al
lance with the undertaken" in plac
ing poison in its dcnaturing form
ulac.
II call II lcgalized MURDER" tn
senator said, "and the government i
an accessory before the fact"
"Those who wish to violate the Law
/ and obtain booze are merely commit
ting suicide" said Wayne B. Wheel
er Of the Anti.saloon League.
G. C. Hinckley, national secretar!
Of the Association Against the Pro
hibition Amendment, thought Wheel
er was taking "callous and fanatic
view Of the situation"
MELLON WOULD ELIMINATE
POISONS AS DENATURANTS