S3E6: Signature Cocktail

Summary

SNAFU with Ed Helms – Season 3, Episode 6: "Signature Cocktail"

Release Date: April 16, 2025
Host: Ed Helms
Description: In "Signature Cocktail," Ed Helms explores one of history's most egregious policy failures: Prohibition's war on alcohol. This episode delves into how the government's misguided efforts to curb drinking backfired disastrously, leading to widespread poisoning of its own citizens through the implementation of dangerous denaturing formulas like Formula 6.

---

Introduction

Ed Helms opens the episode by setting the stage for a deep dive into the tumultuous era of Prohibition in the United States. He references the previous episode, which detailed the missteps of Prohibition enforcement agents, setting up the narrative for the current discussion on how the government's strategy to deter alcohol consumption led to catastrophic outcomes.

The Tragic Case of Francesco Travia

[04:11]
Helms introduces us to the harrowing case of Francesco Travia, a Brooklyn longshoreman arrested in November 1926 under mysterious circumstances. Travia is found disoriented with his pants soaked in blood, leading the police to suspect him of murdering his neighbor, Anna Frederickson.

[05:34]
Enter Charles Norris, the on-call medical examiner, whose expertise debunks the initial murder theory. Upon inspecting the crime scene, Norris identifies signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, a clue that shifts the investigation’s direction.

Notable Quote:
Norris: "No, that woman was dead before he cut her up."
[05:51]

Through meticulous analysis, Norris and his colleague Alexander Getler determine that Anna's death resulted not from foul play but from exposure to "illuminating gas," which contains carbon monoxide—a lethal, colorless, and odorless poison. This discovery reveals that Travia’s condition was a result of accidental poisoning rather than intentional murder.

[06:28]
Helms explains the properties of illuminating gas, emphasizing its deadly nature due to its carbon monoxide content. This revelation underscores the inadvertent dangers posed by Prohibition-era denaturing practices.

Unraveling the Poisoning Conspiracy

[07:07]
Deborah Blum, a historian specializing in chemical-related deaths, elaborates on the implications of Anna Frederickson’s death. She explains that the government's strategy of denaturing alcohol with hazardous chemicals aimed to prevent recreational drinking but instead caused severe health crises.

[21:15]
The episode introduces J.W. Quillen, head chemist at the IRS, who ominously announces the creation of "Formula 6." This concoction includes benzene, kerosene, brucine, and other lethal substances intended to render alcohol undrinkable. Quillen chillingly states:

Quillen: "The cup of cheer is lined with death. Either swift and dramatic or slow and painfully."
[23:15]

This public declaration reveals the government's blatant disregard for human life in its pursuit to enforce Prohibition. The dissemination of Formula 6 leads to widespread alcohol poisoning, as millions of gallons of tainted industrial alcohol find their way into speakeasies and private homes.

Alexander Getler’s Investigation

Alexander Getler becomes the central figure attempting to expose and halt the government's poisonous Prohibition tactics. His investigations reveal that despite the harmful effects of Formula 6, the government persists in producing and distributing increasingly deadly mixtures to suppress alcohol consumption.

[15:02] – [17:39]
Helms narrates Getler’s internal conflict as he witnesses the government's strategy failing disastrously. Getler observes the competitive arms race between bootleggers seeking to produce safer alcohol and the government's efforts to introduce more potent poisons. This relentless cycle results in escalating public health disasters, with numerous fatalities and widespread blindness, referred to as "Jake leg."

The Personal Toll: Bix Beiderbeck’s Story

[35:30] – [39:28]
The narrative shifts to the personal tragedy of Bix Beiderbeck, a renowned cornetist whose life unravels due to the pervasive use of Formula 6. Bix's deteriorating health—marked by breathing difficulties, leg pains, and hallucinations—leads him to a tragic end. Despite his fame and support from Paul Whiteman, Bix succumbs to the debilitating effects of the poisoned alcohol.

Notable Quote:
Deborah Blum: "His breath is so shallow, it's starting to seem unlikely he'll ever be able to hit those great cornet licks he's so well known for again."
[35:25]

Bix's demise serves as a poignant example of the human cost of Prohibition's flawed policies. His final days, filled with pain and confusion, mirror the broader societal suffering inflicted by the government's destructive measures.

Government Complicity and Public Apathy

Despite the clear and devastating impact of Formula 6, governmental authorities, including James Duran, the federal Prohibition Commissioner, show little remorse or intent to cease their harmful practices. The government's acknowledgment of over a million gallons of poisoned alcohol existing in legally sanctioned warehouses highlights a systemic issue where legal frameworks facilitate widespread poisoning.

[25:21] – [25:53]
Quillen admits, "I know of a place in Newark where there are 300,000 gallons. It will probably be cut and made into all sorts of intoxicating liquors."
[25:31]

This admission underscores the deliberate nature of the poisoning campaign and the bureaucratic inertia preventing effective intervention.

Conclusion: A Government-Made Tragedy

Ed Helms concludes the episode by reflecting on the profound failures of Prohibition, emphasizing how noble intentions were corrupted by corrupt practices. The episode paints a grim picture of governmental overreach, where the war on alcohol led to widespread suffering and death, rather than the intended societal benefits.

Final Notable Quote:
Deborah Blum: "But the bigger question was, would anyone face consequences?"
[39:28]

This rhetorical question leaves listeners contemplating the moral and ethical implications of such governmental actions, highlighting a legacy of mistrust and tragedy stemming from Prohibition’s darkest chapters.

---

Key Takeaways

1. Government Missteps: Prohibition's aggressive strategies, particularly the use of toxic denaturing formulas like Formula 6, led to unintended and deadly consequences.
2. Public Health Crisis: Widespread poisoning, blindness, and deaths resulted from the government's flawed policies, undermining public trust and safety.
3. Individual Tragedies: Personal stories, such as that of Bix Beiderbeck, illustrate the human cost of governmental overreach and negligence.
4. Lack of Accountability: Despite clear evidence of harm, government officials showed little initiative to rectify or cease their destructive practices.
5. Historical Lessons: The episode serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of punitive policies that disregard human wellbeing in favor of ideological goals.

Notable Quotes

• Charles Norris: "No, that woman was dead before he cut her up."
  [05:51]

• J.W. Quillen: "The cup of cheer is lined with death. Either swift and dramatic or slow and painfully."
  [23:15]

• Deborah Blum: "He should be pale as a sheet. Instead, she's flush pink because that's what carbon monoxide does."
  [06:52]

• Deborah Blum: "But the bigger question was, would anyone face consequences?"
  [39:28]

---

"Signature Cocktail" masterfully uncovers a dark chapter in American history, shedding light on the catastrophic effects of Prohibition’s ill-conceived policies. Through meticulous storytelling and expert insights, Ed Helms invites listeners to reflect on the profound societal impacts of governmental failures.

Transcript

[Ed Helms]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Holly Frye]

Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Frye and Maria Tremarchi, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the highwayman suggests men dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrars, known as the Wicked lady who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Find more crime and cocktails on Criminalia. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unnamed Host of Better Offline]

OpenAI is a financial abomination, a thing that should not be an aberration, a symbol of rot at the heart of Silicon Valley. And I'm gonna tell you why on my show, Better Offline, the rudest show in the tech industry where we're breaking down why OpenAI, along with other AI companies, are dead set on lying to your boss and that they can take your job. I'm also going to be talking with the greatest minds in the industry about all the other ways the rich and powerful are ruining the computer. Listen to Better offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you happen to get your podcasts.

[Deborah Blum]

Hey there, it's your host Ed Helms here. Real quick, before we dive into this episode, I wanted to remind you that my brand new book is coming out on April 29th. It's called SNAFU the Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screen Screw Ups. And you can pre order it right [e-mail] Trust me, if you like this show, you're gonna love this book. It's got all the wild disasters, spectacular face plants we just couldn't squeeze into this podcast. And here's the kicker. I am also going on tour to celebrate. That's right, I'm coming to New York, D.C. boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and my hometown, Los Angeles. So if you've ever wanted to see me stumble through a live Q and or dramatically read about a kitty cat getting turned into a CIA operative, now's your chance again. Head to snafu-book.com to pre order the book and check out all the tour details and dates or just click the link in the show notes. That'll work too. Okay, that's it. On with the chaos. This is Snafu Season three, Formula six. Last time on Snafu, Double totent became a Prohibition enforcement agent. If he couldn't use his gun, he would use his fist to apprehend these criminals and bootleggers and ended up killing an innocent man. Back in D.C. mabel Walker Willebrandt roped in just about the last people who should ever be involved in law enforcement. This is where the Klan comes in, actually. So what was supposed to be a righteous moral crusade was turning into a bloody, morally compromised debacle. I have no objection to people dressing up in sheets if they enjoy that sort of thing. After all that, the dries weren't done yet. On a cold, misty night in late November 1926, two Brooklyn cops stumble upon something extremely suspicious. Down by the docks on the East River. Under the full moon, a stooped man struggles to carry a big bundle of something towards the water. When the cops holler out and ask him what he's doing, he panics, kicks the bundle into the water and runs away. The cops tackle him and handcuff him, but even once they get him to the precinct, he's still not talking. And this isn't just a regular old I ain't saying nothing kind of silence, more of a stupor. He looks ill, his face oddly flushed. The police suspect he's had quite a lot to drink. Eventually they identify him as Francesco Travia, a longshoreman who lives in nearby Cobble Hill. They can't get a word out of him, but they do notice his pant legs are soaked in blood.

[Ed Helms]

The police go back to his apartment. They find this dismembered body. I love this story so much. And the. Sorry, I shouldn't laugh about this.

[Deborah Blum]

That's historian Deborah Blum. Remember, she's an expert on the various ways chemicals can kill you. When you spend your career talking about poisoned corpses, sometimes you just gotta laugh. The police go to Travya's apartment, find a woman's dead body, well, half of one.

[Ed Helms]

And her head is still there at her torso on the floor.

[Deborah Blum]

The scene in Travya's apartment is gruesome. So it's not really a stretch to conclude that Travia murdered this woman, chopped her up, and has just disposed of her legs in the East River. The body is identified as Anna Frederickson, Francesco's neighbor. Anna's family tells the police that she went to Francesco to scrounge up some booze and left his apartment in multiple pieces. To the nypd, this looks like an open and shut case. They'd caught Francesco Travia red handed, or at least red panted. But then the city's chief medical examiner arrives at the crime scene.

[Ed Helms]

Norris is the on call medical examiner that night. He goes all the way out to Brooklyn, driven by his chauffeur to this shabby little back worker apartment in Brooklyn. And goes in.

[Deborah Blum]

Norris emerges from his car and strolls into the apartment, no doubt dressed in an outfit that cost an arm and a, well, a lot of money. He takes a quick look at the crime scene. Here's what the cops have to report. And immediately blows up the entire theory of the case.

[Ed Helms]

He takes one look at it and goes, you know, no, that that woman was dead before he cut her up.

[Deborah Blum]

Norris only needs to see two things. The unnatural flush of the dead woman's skin and the lighting fixtures in the tenement building where she was found.

[Ed Helms]

A lot of people lived in buildings that were pretty much equipped by what was called illuminating gas, right? And illuminating gas was a cold derived gas. It had hydrogen in it, so it was explosive. And it had carbon monoxide in it, so it was poisonous.

[Deborah Blum]

As Norris knows, this gas is not only poisonous, it's also colorless and odorless, a deadly combination he and Alexander Getler know all too well from their work examining New York City's day. The presence of carbon monoxide also explains why Travia's been in a stupor. And the strange hue of the alleged victim's skin.

[Ed Helms]

When you are killed by carbon monoxide, your skin flushes a deep pink. So here she is. She's bled out completely. Right. She should be pale as a sheet. Instead, she's flush pink because that's what carbon monoxide does.

[Deborah Blum]

Anna Fredrickson's death was a tragic accident. At some point, as she got drunk with Francesco, one of them must have caused the gas leak.

[Ed Helms]

They knock a kettle or something over that's boiling away on a gas burner, put out the flame. Illuminating gas, which they don't smell, start seeping into the apartment. And he and Gettler have already shown that when carbon monoxide gets to the kind of level he's looking at, it kills you. So she has to have been dead.

[Deborah Blum]

Charles Norris feels compelled to testify in Francesco's case. He knows this man is innocent. Well, innocent of murder anyway, and he has the scientific facts to prove it.

[Ed Helms]

And he goes actually into court, opposite to the District attorney and the police department, and wins.

[Deborah Blum]

It wasn't the first time Norris and Getler took on the political powers that be and won. And it wouldn't be the last. Of course, Francesco did still get convicted of improperly disposing of a corpse, and I'm gonna give it to the prosecutor on that one. But he did avoid the death penalty because Gettler and Norris investigated and intervened. From gas leaks to lead pipes, to radioactive watches, which is an actual thing you could buy at the time. There was a lot that could kill you in 1920s America. Time and time again, Gettler and Norris cracked cases that cops couldn't crack. And they were just about the only ones in New York City capable of getting to the bottom of the especially twisted mystery of formula. I'm Ed Helms and this is snafu, a show about history's greatest screw ups. This is the story of how Prohibition backfired so badly that the government chose to poison thousands of Americans. Today, a string of mysterious deaths presents Norris and Getler with another mystery, even as the culprit hides in plain sight. One thing we know about Alexander Getler is that he loved the Yankees. And we also know that as a workaholic, his thoughts were never far from his work. So indulge me as I paint a picture for us. Gettler attending a real Yankee game and piecing together a few work thoughts. Sunday, August 2, 1926. Alexander Getler, notorious workaholic, has given himself a rare day off to enjoy Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. His beloved Bronx Bombers are facing the Chicago White Sox and they're off to a rough start. In the top of the first, Chicago left fielder Bib Falk hits a weak ground ball off Yankee pitcher Waite Hoyt and drives in a run. Bib, wait. Come on. You gotta love these old timey baseball names, right? But Gettler, well, he's not loving it. By the time he's gotten to his seat and lit up one of his White Owl cigars, his Yankees are already down by a run. Now, even amidst all the peanuts and cracker jacks, Skettler's mind wanders to what he's been seeing in his lab and in the news. All over the city and all over the country, people are dying, going blind. Remember that bootleg cocktail, Ginger Jake? There are people walking around town with a condition nicknamed Jake leg, which causes the legs to twitch uncontrollably. By now it's common knowledge that lots of ill gotten hooch has serious, even fatal side effects. But people are still drinking it. The Yankees have their own formidable taste. Tag team Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. They're both in the midst of incredible seasons, smashing homers and breaking records. But in the bottom of the first, the Chicago pitcher gets Gehrig to ground out into a fielder's choice. Intentionally walks the great Bambino. Come on, pitch to him. Scaredy cut. And retires the side without letting up. A run. Yetler puffs his cigar and cogitates. There's been a commotion upstate in Buffalo, where the health commissioner is alleging that dozens of recent deaths chalked up to heart disease or apoplexy were actually the work of methyl alcohol. In his own lab at Bellevue, Alexander's been seeing some downright bizarre things in his test results. And I don't mean the sludge he makes out of dead people. That's all in a day's work. But the chemicals he's finding in that sludge, well, they're getting weirder and weirder. Pyridine. What? The pyridine is colorless and highly flammable. It's commonly found in herbicides and insecticides. In other words, it's poison. Gentler knows the mafiosos distributing tainted liquor aren't afraid to get their hands a little dirty. But still, intentionally serving people insecticide, that's not good for business. And it gets weirder. There's also kerosene and industrial benzene commonly found in rubber and gas. Now, you don't need to be chief toxicologist of Bellevue Medical center to know kerosene and alcohol are a bad mix. But never one to jump to conclusions, Gettler wonders if there's a way these victims might have accidentally consumed these poisons. Which sounds crazy, but he's actually seen a lot of it. The Radium girls. Back in 1925, a dozen women died, and at least 50 more became ill with mysterious symptoms, including necrosis of the jaw. Since they all worked at the same watch factory, the cases were assumed to be connected. However, the company doctors tried to sweep it all under the rug. That's when Gettler was called in. He ran some tests and figured out exactly what was going on. In order to make the watch faces glow in the dark, the workers painted them with radium, which, just like it sounds, is radioactive. The Radium Girls, as they came to be known, had been licking their paintbrushes to wet them as they painted, unknowingly consuming toxic radium every time. So now back to these latest poisonings by benzene and kerosene. Maybe all of these victims worked at a rubber tire factory, and they were all roommates in a building heated by burning kerosene. But probably not. Gettler can't find any connection between them apart from the unique blend of the poisons that killed them. Each of these chemicals is gnarly enough on its own, but when you put them together, it becomes clear whoever invented this cocktail had a deeply sinister intent. Benzene brings on a Seizure. Kerosene constricts the throat. Pyridine sends agonizing pain shooting through the gut. Still other additives would have made the limbs go stiff. Methanol sears the optic nerve after a few gulps. And nearly all the victims went blind before they died. Babe Ruth strikes out to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. The Yankees are still down and they haven't even recorded a hit yet. Alexander is starting to worry about the dollar he's wagered on this game. But he's far more worried thinking about those noxious chemicals showing up in his lab sludge.

[Ed Helms]

They Mr. Won a hot dog.

[Deborah Blum]

Not now. Yankee pitcher Tommy Thompson keeps the White Sox in check through the fifth inning, but his team is still behind. The crowd is restless. Especially Alexander Gettler as his mind turns to the most fucked up thing about all these poisonings. Since the dawn of Prohibition, the bootleggers and the mob have been competing directly with the government, the Prohibition Bureau, Mabel Walker, Willebrandt, the irs, James Duran and all their cronies. They've been going back and forth, taking their swings at each other as the government keeps putting nastier things into industrial alcohol and the outlaws keep hiring chemists to thwart them. Gettler knows what he's seeing is no accident. Finally, in the bottom of the sixth with Gehrig on base, Babe Ruth gets ahold of one. The Colossus of Clout hammers his 30th home run of the six and the Yankees take the lead. Kettler rises to his feet with the rest of the crowd as he watches two all time greats cross home plate. Sorry to spoil it for you, but the scoreline will hold. The Yankees win 2 to 1. All in all, a bad afternoon for Gettler has turned good thanks to a single swing of the bat. But as he joins the crowd streaming out of the park and towards the 161st street subway station, Gettler can't help but wonder, how many of these people would the government be willing to sacrifice for this insane failing strategy of deterrence? Gettler knows better than anyone this strategy isn't working. If denaturing industrial alcohol stopped people from making drinks out of it, people would have stopped getting drunk. But that's clearly just not happening. If introducing more and more pernicious cocktails of poisons actually scared people away from drinking, they wouldn't keep ending up on a metal tray in Gentler and Norris Lab. It's madness, Gettler thinks to himself as he boards a packed train back to Brooklyn. Not only are Duran and his boys intentionally making industrial alcohol unsafe. But this latest concoction seems to be a sign they're gonna keep upping the ante, as if there's some magic formula, a perfect mixture so deadly it could finally convince drinkers to give up the booze. Alexander Gettler knows this is folly, but he doesn't know how much worse it's about to get.

[Holly Frye]

Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Fry and Maria Tremarchi, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the Highwayman suggests men dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrers, known as the wicked lady who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Hear the story of the gentleman robber, the romantic darling of the ladies, and a tale about a wager over a sack of potatoes. But you'll have to tune in to learn who won that one. Some highwaymen were well mannered or faked it. People were concerned about the romanticism of robbers, but most were just thugs. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Call them robbers or bandits. Some are legendary figures. Listen to stories about historical crimes on Criminalia now, plus the cocktails and mocktails inspired by each. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jake Hanrahan]

I'm Jake Hanrahan, journalist and documentary filmmaker. Away Days is my new project reporting on countercultures on the fringes of society all across the world. Live from the underground, you'll discover no rules fighting, Japanese street racing, Brazilian favela life, and much more. All real, completely uncensored. This is unique access with straightforward on the ground reporting. We're taking you deep into the dirt without the usual airs and graces of legacy media, a way that showcases what the mainstream cannot access. Real underground reporting with real people. No excuses. For the past decade, I've been going to places I shouldn't be, meeting people I shouldn't know. Now you can come along too. Listen to the Away Days podcast, reporting from the underbelly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Holes]

A murder happens, the case goes cold. Then over a hundred years later, we take a second look. I'm Paul Holes, a retired cold case investigator.

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

And I'm Kate Winkler Dawson, a journalist and historian.

[Paul Holes]

On our podcast Buried Bones, we re examine historical true crime cases using modern forensic techniques.

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

We dig into what the original investigators may have missed growing up on a farm. When I heard a gunshot, I Did not immediately think murder.

[Paul Holes]

Unless this person went out to shoot squirrels, they're not choosing a.22 to go hunting out there.

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

These cases may be old, but the questions are still relevant and often chilling.

[Paul Holes]

I know this chauffeur is not of concern. You know, it's like, well, he's the last one who saw her alive, so how did they eliminate him?

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

Join us as we take you back to the cold cases that haunt us to this day.

[Paul Holes]

New episodes every Wednesday on the exactly right network. Listen to Buried bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[J.W. Quillen]

This is a warning to all you drinkers tempting fate.

[Deborah Blum]

That's J.W. quillen, head chemist at the IRS. Now, I know what you're thinking, and don't worry, our old pal James Duran is still around. In fact, he's moved up in the world. Duran's now the federal Prohibition Commissioner. Quillen works for him. And on a hot August day, just a week after Babe Ruth's game winning dinger, Duran has sent Quillen to deliver a warning from the government to drinkers everywhere.

[J.W. Quillen]

Alcohol found in speakeasies is not safe to drink.

[Deborah Blum]

Okay, not exactly breaking news. The stuff has been blinding and even killing people all over the country. And I gotta say, it's pretty twisted to even phrase this as a warning because Quillen isn't some passive bystander here. It's his office doing this in the first place. He lists the chemicals the IRS has been using, see if any of them sound familiar.

[J.W. Quillen]

This product is compounded with benzene, kerosene, brucine, and various other products which make it a very deadly poison.

[Deborah Blum]

That's the fucked up cocktail of poisons Gettler's been seeing in dead bodies at Bellevue. And it's a formula with an official name.

[J.W. Quillen]

We call this concoction Formula six.

[Deborah Blum]

And there it is. Formula six. It's kind of snazzy sounding, but still enigmatic. The important thing is one of these toxic recipes has been given a public name. Here's Debra again.

[Ed Helms]

There were dozens of these formulas, each with a different number, each with a different mix of things.

[Deborah Blum]

Quillen reminds everyone what the plan for these formulas is all about.

[J.W. Quillen]

Specialty denatured alcohol is used for the manufacture of hair tonic and toilet perfumes. This alcohol is unique, unfit for beverage purposes.

[Deborah Blum]

Sure, that sounds like a warning, but a little PSA to the speakeasy regulars. This ain't. You see, there's a second, much more sinister layer to this press conference. Because Quillen goes on to say the Treasury Department knows that Formula 6 has not been effective enough, so they're going to release even more formulas that will be even more deadly. The really, really fucked up thing here is they know it's going to kill people. Just listen to the words Quillen uses.

[J.W. Quillen]

The cup of cheer is lined with death. Either swift and dramatic or slow and painfully.

[Deborah Blum]

Sure, kind of a weird way to talk about a public health crisis. And a downright evil way to talk about a public health crisis he himself was causing. I mean, imagine how different those smokey the bear PSAs would go over if we also knew that Smokey was an avowed arsonist. Quillen ended his press conference promising a.

[J.W. Quillen]

Wave of alcohol poisoning.

[Deborah Blum]

As Deborah Blum says, the government is.

[Ed Helms]

Starting to go, okay, this isn't working. Let's supercharge poisons into the alcohol that the bootleggers are stealing.

[Deborah Blum]

I wish I could tell you this shocked the nation, but it didn't. The next morning, a couple hundred words about the press conference appear on page 22 of the new York Times. Quillen's threat did not exactly start a national conversation, nor did it convert booze hounds into teetotalers from coast to coast. And honestly, did Quillen expect it to? I mean, did he or James Duran or Mabel Walker Willebrandt or anyone really think that announcing they were adding a little more poison would finally do the trick? Here we don't know what was in their minds or in their hearts, but we know they proceeded just as Quillen said they would. Oh, and even though Quillen is announcing the feds are retiring Formula 6, that doesn't mean it's going to vanish overnight. Two months after Quillen's announcement, another Bureau official casually tells the press he's aware of 1 million gallons of denatured industrial alcohol poisoned with Formula 6 sitting in warehouses right around New York City. These supplies belonged to companies who had permits to buy it legally for industrial purposes. But everyone knows that most of these companies are really just fronts for bootleggers. And all that alcohol is heading for the holiday punch bowl.

[J.W. Quillen]

I could take you down to a warehouse on the east side and show you 500,000 gallons of this stuff, which I am certain is being sold for beverage purposes.

[Deborah Blum]

The feds know how much tainted liquor is out there, and they know that it's destined for human consumption. In other words, 1 million gallons of poisoned liquor, practically a loaded gun pointed at the city of New York.

[J.W. Quillen]

I know of a place in Newark where there are 300,000 gallons. It will probably be cut and made into all Sorts of intoxicating liquors.

[Deborah Blum]

But for the moment, since it's categorized as industrial, it's legal. So in the minds of the Prohibition Bureau officials, well, there's nothing they can do. It's like, gee, we'd really love to do something about all that liquor we poisoned, but, gosh darn it, it's perfectly legal and privately owned. Our hands are tied as Christmas approaches. Everyone from Gettler to James Duran knows what's about to happen. The only real question is, how many lives will Formula 6 claim? Say, Frankie, what time is it? I don't know. It's pitch dark and the clock's all the way over there. Nah.

[Ed Helms]

Gee, now we'll never know.

[Deborah Blum]

Looks like you boys need undark.

[Ed Helms]

What the hell was that?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Show yourself.

[Deborah Blum]

Yes, with undark white watches, you can tell the time no matter the time. Even when it's dark.

[Ed Helms]

Even when it's dark.

[Jake Hanrahan]

What's the secret?

[Deborah Blum]

How did you edit here? That's right. The secret is radium. You see, here at Undark, we've harnessed the benevolent power of radiation to make watches that glow in the dark. We use nothing but pure radium to deliver a watch that glows and shines. So you know the time, even in the dark. Christmas Eve. New York is aglow with holiday lights as a soft rain falls over the city. The evening starts off as a normal holiday shift at Bellevue Hospital. Cheery music wafts, drifts through the halls. It's quiet for now. Then the ER doors swing open. A man barges in, ranting and raving, gasping for air. He's terrified. He says Santa Claus is chasing him with a baseball bat. The doctors are well aware that, spoiler alert, kids, Santa isn't real. But the man who just burst into the ER seems pretty damn convinced. This isn't your normal holiday drunk. This guy is straight up hallucinating. And he's not the only one. As Christmas morning approaches, over 60 more people crash through the ER doors, drunk, sweating and vomiting. Like the guy being chased by St. Nick. Many of them are seeing things that aren't there. But others are already blind by the time they get to the hospital. That night, eight of them die. Returning to his basement lab after the holiday, Alexander Gettler finds his Boxing Day surprise. Eight new dead bodies. Not to mention the dozens more people elsewhere in the hospital, blinded or hallucinating. He gets to work examining the man who spent his final hours raving about being stalked by old Kris Kringle. Extremities turned blue, lungs bloated, full of.

[Paul Holes]

Fluid, stomach lining Hemorrhaged.

[Deborah Blum]

Nothing out of the ordinary. Just taking a peek at the organs of the recently deceased. And on first glance, Gettler sees the hallmarks of death by alcohol poisoning. The ordinary kind. But that doesn't explain the hallucinations or the blindness. Gettler knows full well that alcohol impairs vision, but it can't blind you on its own, nor can it make you see things that aren't there. Whatever killed these eight people and poisoned dozens more, it contained some especially nasty chemicals. Gettler turns to his tried and true method. He takes biopsies of the body's liver, brain and blood. He blends them into a sludge. He repeats the same process with each of the fresh bodies. Eight livers, eight brains, eight blood samples, 24 beakers of human chemical. As he waits for the results, news of more grisly Yuletide fatalities come in from around the country. 150 dead in Philadelphia. 71 dead in Baltimore, 328 in Chicago. Gettler knows he'll get to the bottom of it sooner or later. He'll figure out what's in Duran and Quillen's latest formula. But the more pressing question is, will anyone stop them?

[Holly Frye]

Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Frye and Maria Tremarchi, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the highwayman suggests men dominated the field. But tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrars, known as the wicked lady who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Hear the story of the gentleman robber, the romantic darling of the ladies, and a tale about a wager over a sack of potatoes. But you'll have to tune in to learn who won that one. Some highwaymen were well mannered or faked it. People were concerned about the romanticism of robbers, but most were just thugs. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Call them robbers or bandits, some are legendary figures. Listen to stories about historical crimes on Criminalia now, Plus the cocktails and mocktails inspired by each. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jake Hanrahan]

I'm Jake Hanrahan, journalist and documentary filmmaker. Away Days is my new project reporting on countercultures on the fringes of society and all across the world. Live from the underground, you'll discover no rules fighting, Japanese street racing, Brazilian favela life, and much more. All real, completely uncensored. This is unique access with straightforward on the ground reporting. We're taking you Deep into the dirt without the usual airs and graces of legacy media. A way that it showcases what the mainstream cannot access. Real underground reporting with real people. No excuses. For the past decade, I've been going to places I shouldn't be, meeting people I shouldn't know. Now you can come along too. Listen to the Away Days podcast, reporting from the underbelly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Holes]

A murder happens, the case goes cold. Then, over a hundred years later, we take a second look. Paul I'm Paul Holz, a retired cold case investigator.

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

And I'm Kate Winkler Dawson, a journalist and historian.

[Paul Holes]

On our podcast, Buried Bones, we reexamine historical true crime cases.

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

Using modern forensic techniques. We dig into what the original investigators may have missed. Growing up on a farm, when I heard a gunshot, I did not immediately think murder.

[Paul Holes]

Unless this person went out to shoot squirrels, they're not choosing a.22 to go hunting out there.

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

These cases may be old, but the questions are still relevant and often chilling.

[Paul Holes]

I know this chauffeur is not of concern. You know, it's like, well, he's the last one who saw our life, so how did they eliminate him?

[Kate Winkler Dawson]

Join us as we take you back to the cold cases that haunt us to this day.

[Paul Holes]

New episodes every Wednesday on the Exactly Right network. Listen to Buried bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Deborah Blum]

We began this season with the story of Bix Beiderbeck, the virtuoso cornetist who, quote, cracked up and collapsed while on tour in Cleveland. It's time to come back to his story. See, Bix survived that 1928 incident, but he never really recovered. To be clear, Bix was already a full blown alcoholic, which certainly didn't do wonders for his health. But ever since that night, he had trouble breathing, he had pains in his legs, and he's convinced he was poisoned. Paul Whiteman, leader of the orchestra in which Bix was a member, keeps hoping his star cornetist will recover. For more than a year, he keeps Bix's chair empty. Nobody knows what exactly happened to Bix, but most chalk it up to drunkenness. Maybe he just needs to dry out. First, Bix goes to his parents place in Iowa to recuperate. Then he checks into rehab. I'm not sure what rehab was like in the 1920s, but let's just say it was less than fully effective. When he returns to his apartment in New York City, Bix is still in pain and still drinking heavily when Paul Whiteman comes through town, he invites Bix to join them on stage. Whip through those old solos again, buddy, even if it's just for one performance. But Bix is wracked with mysterious pain and struggling just to breathe. Sadly, his playing days are over. It's not long before Bix is a patient at Bellevue Hospital. He was so close to Alexander Gettler. Do you think they ever met? Their paths did actually cross, kind of. See, while undergoing treatment at Bellevue, Bix crashes with his friend, the legendary jazz trombonist Jack Teegarden.

[I]

There's a story about him taking Jack Teagarden to the morgue at the famous hospital in New York. That's still there.

[Deborah Blum]

That's Randy Sanke, renowned musician and an expert on Bix.

[I]

And he writes this letter where he talks about how the poison has settled in his legs and he can't get up without falling over. His signature is just so scratchy. I mean, you can tell that he's shaking. He's not in good health, good control of, you know, of his motor abilities.

[Deborah Blum]

He's got pneumonia. His eyes are still bloodshot. It's a struggle to keep food down. His breath is so shallow, it's starting to seem unlikely he'll ever be able to hit those great cornet licks he's so well known for again. So one day, Jack helps him out of bed and down to the street. Anything to preoccupy him, maybe help him regain a bit of his strength. But today, Bix is overcome by a strange impulse. A morbid curiosity. Something in his gut, still ravaged by the poison, tells him to take the elevator down to the basement level.

[Holly Frye]

What floor, sir?

[Deborah Blum]

They take the elevator down to the lowest level. The temperature drops about 10 degrees as they step out. It might just be a bad case of the chills, but Bix swears he can see his breath. They slowly teeter towards a heavy iron door clearly marked with the word mortuary. A watchman idles by the entrance to the morgue. Turns out he's a jazz fan. That, along with a five dollar bill, is enough to get them inside.

[J.W. Quillen]

Bix, you sure you want to do this?

[Deborah Blum]

Jack and Bix are the only living souls in the morgue. No doctors, no students. But there is a lone body lying on an examination table in the middle of the room. She's bloodless, as cold and smooth as marble. Soon she'll be embalmed, redressed and placed in a pine box. A modest funeral, more than likely. She comes from a family who can only Afford the bare minimum with one foot in the grave himself. Bix must have wondered what he'd look like when it came time to splay him out on a cold steel table. When Randy told us this story, it really hit me, because Bix stands out to me as the kind of person Gettler was trying to help, trying to save. And the fact that Bix visited the morgue, he literally walked the halls where Gettler was doing his important work. It has a kind of sad irony to it. Like Gettler was working to put the pieces together and stop the poisonings. He was desperate to save as many people as he could. But it was too late for Bix. And it's almost like Bix knew it.

[I]

You know, whether there was this death wish concurrently, it's hard to say. But it seems like things developed pretty fast in the last few days.

[Deborah Blum]

Bix's last few days are hot. It was August in New York. So hot an already addled Bix can't get to sleep. His neighbors hear him playing his piano in the wee hours of the morning. He's seeing people and hearing things that aren't there. Understandably, he's fixated on death. It comes August 6, 1931, while Bix is still in his apartment. He's sweating, shouting that there are men under the bed. They have knives. They want to kill him. The building supervisor tries to calm Bix down by playing along. He gets on all fours and looks under the empty bed. Suddenly, Bix dives down from the bed and slams into him. The man struggles to catch him. Help.

[J.W. Quillen]

Need a duck?

[Deborah Blum]

A nurse who lives across the hall runs in to help, but the commotion is over. Bix goes slack and crumples to the.

[I]

Floor, unofficially pronounced Bix dead. But you said this boy is dead.

[Deborah Blum]

Bix Beiderbeck's obituary listed his death officially as pneumonia. Lungs filled with fluid, spasms, shooting pains, hallucinations. Formula 6 had done its job, slow and low, painfully.

[J.W. Quillen]

Sure, sure, sure.

[Deborah Blum]

But the bigger question was, would anyone face consequences? SNAFU is a production of iHeartRadio Film Nation Entertainment and Pacific Electric Picture Company in association with Gilded Audio. It's executive produced by me, Ed Helms, Milan Popelka, Mike Falbo, Whitney Donaldson and Dylan Fagan. Our lead producers are Carl Nellis and Alyssa Martineau. This episode was written by Nevin Calipalli and Steven Wood, with additional writing and story editing from Alyssa Martino and Ed Helms. Additional production from Steven Wood, Olivia Canney and Kelsey Albright. Tori Smith is our associate producer. Our story editor is Nikki Stein. Our production assistants are Nevan Kalapali and Ekimony Ekpo. Fact checking by Charles Richter. Our creative executive is Brett Harris. Editing, music and sound design by Ben Chugg. Engineering and technical direction by Nick Dooley. Andrew Chugg is Gilded Audio's creative director. Theme music by Dan Rosado. The role of Mabel Walker Willebrandt was played by Carrie Bechet. Special thanks to Allison Cohen, Daniel Welsh and Ben Ryzak.

[Holly Frye]

Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Fry and Maria Tremarke, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the Highwayman suggests men dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrers. Known as the wicked lady who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Find more crime and cocktails on Criminalia. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unnamed Host of Better Offline]

OpenAI is a financial abomination, a thing that should not be an aberration, a symbol of rot at the heart of Silicon Valley. And I'm gonna tell you why on my show, Better Offline, the rudest show in the tech industry where we're breaking down why OpenAI, along with other AI companies, are dead set on lying to your boss that they can take your job. I'm also going to be talking with the greatest minds in the industry about all the other ways the rich and powerful are ruining the computer. Listen to Better offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts. Wherever you happen to get your podcasts.

[Ed Helms]

This is an iHeart podcast.