TO HELP TEMPERANCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 55

TO HELP TEMPERANCE

—&> The New York police are in possession of the full history of the "death whisky" which has killed more than 100 persons and condemned hundreds of others to lifelong paralysis or blindness New_ York and neighbouring cities. The liquid is now known to have> been wood alcohol, employed "as one of the ingredients of embalming fluid. The confession of Paranelli, an oil merchant, who acted as saloon-keeper's agejit in obtaining the stuff, has enabled the police to lay hands on an undertaker who originally supplied it. Parane'.li told how he was approached by a saloon-keeper friend, who asked him to sret some whiskv fpr Christmas. Not having any he passed "the order to a grocer named Puca, who also was without supplies. He sent the order to two associates, also Italians, named Licenzio and Dolormo. They passed it to a Brooklyn chemist, who telephoned to an Italian undertaker, Romanelli. This man, according to Paranelli, agreed to supply the liquor and despatched five barrels, three of which were sent to Hartford, Connecticut, and the other to a dealer in the Bronx, New York City. TWO HUNDRED POUNDS A BARREL. The dealer visited Paranelli, the same day and produced a bottle of the liquid, saying he thought ifc was "bad." Paranelli took a sample to the. chemist, who said that it was wood alcohol and a deadly poison. The frightened agent then telephoned to his Hartford friend and warned him of the nature of the "whisky." But ho was told that a large quantity had been sold in Hartford itself and the remainder sent to Chieopee, Massachusetts. The same evening reports began to appear in the New York evening newspapers of persons dying at Hartford and Chieopee aftrr drinking p certain liquor, and Paranelli, becominfr panic-stricken, shut up his shop and went into hiding. From the undertaker's stovy, it appears that the alcohol was received by him in bulk in iron containers. He put it in wooden barrrls and sold it to Paranelli as whisky. The price was £2OO a barrel, Pai'anelli receiving 10 per cent, commission. Ho ins'sts that he sent the liquid as whisky in good faith and did all he could to recall it when he learned.its real nature.