1926 — July 22-Aug 2, Wood Alcohol Poisonings, Buffalo, NY and vicinity –44-45
New York State and Canada:
— 45 Portsmouth Herald, NH. “Raids Follow Death of 45th Rum Victim.” 7-3-1926, p. 4.
— 44 Lock Haven Express, PA. “Poison Liquor (editorial).” 8-2-1926, p. 6.
— 44 The Bee, Danville, VA. “Wood Alcohol Toll Growing; Four More Die,” 7-29-1926, p. 1.
–>40 Syracuse Herald, NY. “U.S. to Close Big Brewery; 90 Indicted.” 7-30-1926, p. 1.
— 38 Oneonta Daily Star, NY. “James C. Voelker.” 7-30-1926, p. 1.
— 15 Buffalo. Blanchard addition of Aug 2 death of Alexander McDonald.
— 14 Buffalo. Oneonta Daily Star, NY. “James C. Voelker.” 7-30-1926, p. 1.
Narrative Information
July 24: “Buffalo, N.Y. (AP), July 24. – Four men and one woman are dead here from the effects of wood alcohol poisoning. Deaths of another man and a woman are attributed to the same cause and two men were in hospitals Saturday [July 24], blind as a result of the same poison. A saloonkeeper and his wife and an alleged alcohol purveyor were held on homicide charges. The following deaths have been positively attributed to alcohol poisoning by the medical examiner:
- Verne Jenkins, 38, who died suddenly on Friday.
Anthony Korsak, 40, also died on Friday.
Mrs. Helen Dillott, 43, died Saturday.
Albert Leslie, 47, died on Thursday. [July 22]
William Pylzanien, 35, died Saturday.
“Those whose deaths also are attributed by the police to alcohol poisoning are: Stanley Wrubel and Mary Gillman. The two blinded are Frank Gernak and George Sokesilwicz.
“The trio under arrest are Joseph Banns, described by police as an alleged bootlegger in alcohol; Joseph Sucharski, saloon-keeper, and his wife, Carrie. All were charged with homicide. Two of the victims who died and two who are blind are alleged to have bought the poison liquor in Sucharski’s saloon….” (San Antonio Express, TX. “Wood Alcohol Claims 7 Lives, Two Blinded.” 7-25-1926, p. 7.)
July 26: “Buffalo, N.Y., July 26. – (AP) — Frank J. Hale, national superintendent of alcohol control, and Judge Roscoe C. Harper, legal adviser, arrived here today from Washington to investigate the source of the poison liquor that has caused more than 30 deaths in Buffalo and vicinity and across the border in Ontario in the last few days.
“While the Washington officials were conferring with local prohibition enforcement agents and representatives of the police department news was received from Lockport of two additional deaths in that city, making the total fatalities in Niagara county six. Earl Russell, 32 years old, died in the Lockport city hospital a short time after being taken there from Olcott Beach. He went blind while on the way to Lockport and succumbed in a short time. Robert Neville, 53, died about the same time while being taken from his home to the Lockport city hospital. In this city another name was added to the long list of victims when a physician who attended Henry Reed of Military Road reported to the medical examiner that his patient died of alcoholic poisoning. Reed was buried yesterday. Military Road is in the Block Rock district where most of the other fatalities occurred.” (Escanaba Daily Press, MI. “30 Die From Poison Liquor,” 8-27-1926, p. 1.)
July 29: “Buffalo, N.Y., July 29 – (AP) – While a nationwide search was being instituted today for three men said to be members of the higher up bootleggers gang sought by the authorities in connection with the sale of wood alcohol in liquor, the death list had increased to forty four. Jamestown reported four fatalities during the night.
“The men sought are alleged by police to have known the liquor was poisonous when they sold it. Their names as revealed by Buffalo authorities are David Goldberg and Nate Saplowlch of Buffalo and Davey Burden of New York. James C Voelker, of Buffalo [is] already under arrest on a charge of murder. Despite the fact that all the samples examined by chemists were pronounced poisonous, the vendors of the fatal liquor defied the findings of the chemists and proceeded to sell the condemned stuff, the authorities charge.” (The Bee, Danville, VA. “Wood Alcohol Toll Growing; Four More Die,” 7-29-1926, p. 1.)
July 30: “James C. Voelker is under arrest at Buffalo on a charge of first degree murder. He is accused of selling whiskey made from wood alcohol that killed 14 people in Buffalo and 24 more in New York state and Ontario.” (Oneonta Daily Star, NY. “James C. Voelker.” 7-30-1926, p. 1.)
July 31: “Buffalo, N. Y., July 31.—(AP)—Ten or more indictments for murder or manslaughter in connection with poison alcohol fatalities will be. sought by District Attorney Moore when the September grand jury convenes. The evidence gathered by the police was submitted to the prosecutor last night and after going over it. Mr. Moore expressed the belief that it was sufficient to make strong cases against ten men and probably more, who are alleged to have conducted a liquor ring that extended as far west as Detroit.
“Although the Ontario authorities apparently see a connection between the retailers of wood alcohol concoctions which also caused numerous deaths in the province and the gigantic alcohol conspiracy revealed by the federal grand jury report at Jamestown, federal authorities here have failed to link the two groups in any way.” (Joplin Globe, MO. “To Seek Indictments in Poison Liquor Deaths.” 8-1-1926, p. 1.)
Aug 3: “Buffalo, Aug. 3 (AP) – A series of raids by federal prohibition officers followed the death yesterday of Alexander (Sandy McDonald, 50, 45th victim of wood alcohol. The raids netted considerable liquor which is being held for analysis.” (Portsmouth Herald, NH. “Raids Follow Death of 45th Rum Victim.” 7-3-1926, p. 4.)
Sources:
Escanaba Daily Press, MI. “30 Die from Poison Liquor,” 8-27-1926, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=200237471&sterm
Joplin Globe, MO. “To Seek Indictments in Poison Liquor Deaths.” 8-1-1926, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=166866245&sterm=wood+alcohol
Lock Haven Express, PA. “Poison Liquor (editorial).” 8-2-1926, p. 6. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=147300668&sterm=wood+alcohol
Oneonta Daily Star, NY. “James C. Voelker.” 7-30-1926, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=41050683&sterm
Portsmouth Herald, NH. “Raids Follow Death of 45th Rum Victim.” 7-3-1926, p. 4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=55717184&sterm=wood+alcohol
San Antonio Express, TX. “Wood Alcohol Claims 7 Lives, Two Blinded.” 7-25-1926, p. 7. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=70967139&sterm
Syracuse Herald, NY. “U.S. to Close Big Brewery; 90 Indicted.” 7-30-1926, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=23066955&sterm=wood+alcohol
The Bee, Danville, VA. “Wood Alcohol Toll Growing; Four More Die,” 7-29-1926, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=19592865&sterm