Document 4ZRBr8Qz04kXjng7qyaJ7Eap

Mr. S. M. "egner Cari Abell Los-Angeles Los Angeles i^ath of ____ alleged lead poisoning from drinking ethyl fluid December 21, 1944 tear Mr. Vagner * In line with Mr. 0. B. Lewis's request of Dec. IS, 1 have investigated this matter, aadhave the following to report : truck driver, died in the general Hospital, Los A ngej^S^o^sov. 27, 1944, of what appeared to be acute lead poisoning. I have seen the hospital's record of his illness and death, the police report covering the case, and the entire file on his case in the coroner's office. They are not entirely in agreement. The hospital record opens with the statement that he had taken a mouthful of concentrated tetraethyl lead fro a bottle which he found in a drawer at the service station at 3800 East Olympia Blvd., Los Angeles, when he opened the station at about 8 a.si. on Bov. 27. It was a whiskey bottle, so he believed he was taking ad rink of liquor. (He was unable to read English). He said it tasted bad, and made him sick at his stomach, which contin ued. The hospital record also noted a condition of violent diorrhea. A later note by one of the doctors stated that a bottle of Hu-power had been found near him, which appeared to be slightly less than full. It also commented that the station operator had had a whiskey bottle containing Ethyl Gasoline in the station, but that he reported he was unable to find thisTater in the day. Death occurred at 6tSO p.m. of that same day. The reason given in the hospital records was "acute lead poisoning" 3800 East Olympic Blvd. is the address of a large superservioe station operated by Albert Manookian. I a quite familiar with the station, as it has been dealing 1Q0# in Associated products (How Tidewater) as far baok as I can remember. I bought gasoline there quite frequently through the years as far baok as 1931, and has been under the same management all that time. There do not appear to be any living quarters on the premises, but Aroff has given this as his home address on a number of previous occasions when h was in the General Hospital. They have four sheets in the hospital record of his last illness, but the file covering his previous stays in the hospital is about three quarters Of an inch thiek. He was without family, and always gave Manookian' a name as 0016988 2 hi closest friend. At the Coroner* office I m s shown the entire file on the case, which included the polio report and the report of the autopsy surgeon. The police report noted that found suffering at 8:10 a.ci., axd was sent to the Georgia St. Receiving Hospital in the Hollenbeck Police Station ambulance immediately. According to this report, h had taken a swallow from a bottle of "Ku-Power Pep". iron Georgia St, he m s transferred to the General Hospital at ubout 11.2*5. This is police Pile Ho., DR-A 24,968, Hollenbeck Station, signed by officer F.F.Earl, Badge 575. Copy of the autopsy surgeon*s report is attached. Thgre was no record of any chemical analysis in connection with the autopsy. Receipt for the body was signed by Manookian. Throughout the hospital and the coroner*s records, there appeared to be a confusion in the spelling of tho man's name. It was Tvritten as Aroff on both the police and the hospital records, but was filed and we had difficulty locating the file, it was also writhenas ^ 0 0 ^ in the coroner's office, tut changed to Groff. I drove down to the station to look around, but did not interview the manager on this subject. Is I approached thes tatioa, r-d Foedsl, city sales supervisor of Tidewater, and Kr. Kunferel, manager oft heir Vernon distributing plant, were just driving out. I stopped them,- and discussed it with then. Kunkel was familiar with the incident through previous conversations with 'fanookian. She latter had v i s i t e d ^ H M t a t the hospital the day of his death. Apparently s "T"Heavy drinker, and had asked lanookian for a bottle of whiskey, which had not been forthcoming. t'ancokian is regarded very highly by Tidewater. They report that his conduct during the rationing period, and at all previous times, has been exceptionally pie&n. They know o oases whan he has been offered truckloads of Ethyl Gasoline by drivers for Independent companies, andhas turned them down. I went into the station later and bought gasoline. The attendant regretted that there was no Ethyl Gasoline available, so I bought five gallons of regular. Trent into the station house, ostensibly to phene the office, but actually to see what was on the shelves, which I had ample time to do, as there was another party Using the telephone. There was absolutely nothing questionable in sight - not even Nu-Power. I believe, but could not provo, that what drank was Ethyl Fluid. I suspect that Manookian had a small bottle, probably a flat whiskey bottle, of the fluid on hand for his own us, as there is no evidence to date that he w a s peddling it. I doubt if he would peddle it. It appears to me that h disposed of it as soon as he knew of illness, to prevent becoming involved in any consequences of his friend(s death. Should any addiditonal information be desired, I will be glad to carry the investigation further. KE 0016380 Pile Ho. 17,448 OFFICE OF TEE COUNTY CORONER I performed an autopsy on Sam male, age 45, on 11 29-44 at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Mortuary, and found the iimoediat cause of death : Acute Lead Poisoning. Due to: Ingestion of tetraethyl lead solution. Ex&aination : The lungs are practically consolidated from intense hypostatic congestion. The heart is normal in sise and appearance and the coronaries are thickened, the right to the point off occlusion. The aorta shows slight atheroma. The liver is jcfcra large, firm to hardness in consistency, pinkish yellow Ini color. The kidneys are swollen on cut section, the surface appears granular and structural Characteristics of cortex and medulla are gone. The stomach mucosa appears dark drah^iar-eolpr.| I (Signed)- Frank E. Wehhr^^i'' D. Chief Autopsy Surgeon. \\ \; ti r // Ii $016990