Ed Helms

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.

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. Yankee pitcher Tommy Thompson keeps the White Sox in check through the fifth inning, but his team is still behind.

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. 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-Willibrandt, the IRS, James Duran, and all their cronies.

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-Willibrandt, 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 a hold of one.

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 a hold of one.

The Colossus of Cloud hammers his 30th home run of the season, and the Yankees take the lead. Gettler 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 2-1. All in all, a bad afternoon for Gettler has turned good thanks to a single swing of the bat.

The Colossus of Cloud hammers his 30th home run of the season, and the Yankees take the lead. Gettler 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 2-1. 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.

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 Gettler and Norris's lab. It's madness. It's madness.

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 Gettler and Norris's lab. It's madness. 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 going to 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.

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 going to 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.

Alexander Gettler knows this is folly, but he doesn't know how much worse it's about to get.

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.

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.