1922 —  Jan 20-Feb 17, wood alcohol poisoning, NJ (26), esp. Hoboken; NYC area (5)–   31

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 4-22-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

New Jersey     (26)

–12  Hoboken, “last few weeks” as of Jan 28.[1]

––  2  Jan 22. NYT.  “2 Bartenders Die…Wood Alcohol; Hoboken Men…,” 1-23-1922. 

                        –1  Walter Rohde, 30. Taken ill after a trip to Manhattan.[2]

                        –1  Barney Deneky, 32.[3]

            –1  Jan 30. Matthew Cannon at St. Mary’s Hospital.[4]

–1  Feb 1. Emil Wicker, 26, West Street, West Hoboken.[5]

—  4  Jersey City,

–1  Feb 1. Mrs. Mary Bierck, 65 Dales Ave.[6]

–1  Feb 9. Dura Franklin.[7]

–1  Feb 1.  Leo Sackas, 28 James Ave.[8]

–1  Feb 2. William Space, 36, at Jersey City Hospital.[9]

—  4  Newark, Feb 7. Evening World, NY. “4 Die From Poison Gin…” 2-7-1922, p. 13.

            –1  Freeman Brown, No. 133 Broome Street.

–1  Charles Ferguson, No. 45 Prince Street.

            –1  Mrs. Minnie German, No. 163 Broome Street.

            –1  Robert Paterson, No. 144 Baldwin Street.

—  5  Ridgefield Park, Feb 11-17. NYT.  “Lay 5 More Deaths to Wood Alcohol,” Feb 17, 1922.

            –1  John Best, 70.

            –1  Harry Best, 44, son of John Best.

            –1  Samuel Dunlap, boarded in Summit Street.

–1  Sebastian Gerger, 50, Maple Avenue.

–1  Charles Kelly, gate tender at West Shore Railroad crossing.

—  1  Trenton, Jan 21. NYT.  “Home-Brewed Liquor Kills Former Sailor,” Jan 21, 1922.

 

New York       (  5)

–1  West Shore train station at Kingston, Jan 27. Name of C. C. Gregory found in pocket.[10]

–1  Manhattan NY, Jan 23. Thought to be named James Hook.[11]

–1  NYC, Feb 1. Lillian Carroll, 29, No. 450 West 55th St.[12]

–1  NYC, Feb 4. Stanislaus Nioscowsky, No. 555 West 48th [unclear] Street.[13]

–1  NYC, Feb 9. Thomas Henry, contractor living at 640 Broadway.[14]

 

Narrative Information

 

Jan 21: “Wood alcohol and other poisonous concoctions continue to claim victims in the metropolitan district.  In Trenton, N.J., a man died yesterday from alcohol poisoning, and two men were taken to the Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn yesterday afternoon suffering from wood alcohol poisoning.” 

 

Jan 22: “Two Hoboken bartenders died Saturday night in St. Mary’s Hospital, Hoboken, from wood alcohol poisoning, according to reports made yesterday to the Hoboken police. They are the first bartenders in this vicinity to become victims of wood alcohol during the present epidemic of deaths from the deadly poison.  Two weeks ago there were ten deaths in Hoboken and one in Jersey City from wood alcohol poisoning. The police have been unable to find any connection between the deaths Saturday night and those about two weeks ago.

 

“Both bartenders were stricken blind before being removed to the hospital.  One had been ill about four days and the other about two days. Walter Rohde, 30, of 210 Park Avenue, Hoboken, was taken ill on Friday soon after returning from a trip to Manhattan. The presumption is that he obtained the wood alcohol here….”  (NYT.  “2 Bartenders Die…Wood Alcohol; Hoboken Men…,” 23 Jan 1922.)

 

Feb 17:  “Wood alcohol is believed to have caused five deaths in Ridgefield Park, N.J. since last Saturday.  Three deaths have been definitely traced to wood alcohol poisoning and the two others are thought to have been due to the same cause. This would bring the total number of deaths in New Jersey from wood alcohol poisoning since Jan. 10 up to twenty-seven.”  (NYT.  “Lay 5 More Deaths to Wood Alcohol,” Feb 17, 1922.)

 

Sources

 

Catskill Mountain News, Margaretville, NY. “Did Mountain Moonshine Cause This Tragedy?” 2-3-1922, p. 3. Accessed 4-22-2025 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/margaretville-catskill-mountain-news-feb-03-1922-p-3/

 

Evening World, NY. “4 Die From Poison Gin, Three Dying; Saloonist Jailed.” 2-7-1922, p. 13. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-evening-world-feb-07-1922-p-13/

 

Evening World, NYC. “Dead – May Have Been Due To Wood Alcohol.” 2-4-1922,  p. 10. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-evening-world-feb-04-1922-p-10/

 

Evening World, NYC. “Three More Dead, One Dying, From Poisoned Liquor.” 2-2-1922, p. 8. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-evening-world-feb-02-1922-p-8/

 

Evening World, NYC. “Three More Die of Wood Alcohol; 2 Ex-Saloon Men.” 1-23-1922, p. 8. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-evening-world-jan-23-1922-p-8/

 

Evening World, NYC. “Wood Alcohol Kills Negro in Jersey City.” 2-9-1922, p. 20. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-evening-world-feb-09-1922-p-20/

 

New York Herald. “4 Stills Explode, Houses Set Afire.” 2-3-1922, p. 20. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-herald-feb-03-1922-p-15/

 

New York Herald. “Anderson To Help Day Find Chief Aid…Bronx Booze Graft Probe…” 2-10-1922, p. 22. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-herald-feb-10-1922-p-15/

 

New York Herald. “Blinded by Hooch, Sues for $10,000.” 1-28-1922, p. 20. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-herald-jan-28-1922-p-13/

 

New York Herald. “Woman and 2 Men Killed by Alcohol. Death Toll Now 15 From Poisonings in Hoboken and Jersey City.” 2-2-1922, p. 5. Accessed 4-22-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-herald-feb-02-1922-p-5/

 

New York Times. “2 Bartenders Die of Wood Alcohol; Hoboken Men are First of Their Class to Succumb to Latest Epidemic,” Jan 23, 1922. Accessed at: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F70A10FA3A541B7A93C1AB178AD85F468285F9

 

New York Times. “Home-Brewed Liquor Kills Former Sailor,” Jan 21, 1922.  Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20716FD3A541B7A93C3AB178AD85F468285F9

 

New York Times. “Lay 5 More Deaths to Wood Alcohol,” 2-17-1922. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=FA0C16F935541B7A93C5A81789D85F468285F9

 

 

[1] New York Herald. “Blinded by Hooch, Sues for $10,000.” 1-28-1922, p. 20.

[2] Evening World, NYC. “Three More Die of Wood Alcohol; 2 Ex-Saloon Men.” 1-23-1922, p. 8.

[3] Evening World, NYC. “Three More Die of Wood Alcohol; 2 Ex-Saloon Men.” 1-23-1922, p. 8.

[4] New York Herald. “4 Stills Explode, Houses Set Afire.” 2-3-1922, p. 20.

[5] Evening World, NYC. “Three More Die of Wood Alcohol; 2 Ex-Saloon Men.” 1-23-1922, p. 8.

[6] New York Herald. “Woman and 2 Men Killed by Alcohol. Death Toll Now 15…” 2-2-1922, p. 5.

[7] Evening World, NYC. “Wood Alcohol Kills Negro in Jersey City.” 2-9-1922, p. 20.

[8] New York Herald. “Woman and 2 Men Killed by Alcohol. Death Toll Now 15…” 2-2-1922, p. 5.

[9] Evening World, NYC. “Three More Dead, One Dying, From Poisoned Liquor.” 2-2-1922, p. 8.

[10] Catskill Mountain News, Margaretville, NY. “Did Mountain Moonshine Cause This Tragedy?” 2-3-1922, p. 3.

[11] Evening World, NYC. “Three More Die of Wood Alcohol; 2 Ex-Saloon Men.” 1-23-1922, p. 8.

[12] Evening World, NYC. “Three More Die of Wood Alcohol; 2 Ex-Saloon Men.” 1-23-1922, p. 8.

[13] Evening World, NYC. “Dead – May Have Been Due To Wood Alcohol.” 2-4-1922,  p. 10. “Bottle which had contained wood alcohol, the surgeon said, lay beside him.”

[14] New York Herald. “Anderson To Help Day Find Chief Aid…Bronx Booze Graft Probe…” 2-10-1922, p. 22.