The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-07-27

r.A. .,,,,no.,, Commercial "a

From the Cincinnati Commercial I'd
The community has hardly been allowed
breathing time since the horrible tragedy en-
acted by the murderer Lcefner, before we
are again called upon 10 recount q deed
which in hclli-h iniquity beggzr- description
and throws the legendary ,isonings Of tho
Borgias in the shade
YESTERDAY afternoon, between the hours
Of two and four, q couple Of boys, apparent
~ from IA to Is years Of age, were observed
aun;ering UP Buckeye street densely pop
ulsted German neighborhool, scattering
small lo1cngss upon the sidewalk, about the
size OF peppermint drops. In another part
Of the street, rather robust looking man,
dressed in black coat, white pants and
white Int, with box under his arm, wa,
also observed, occasionally distributing
similar description oflozenye, only in larger
quantities. A. h usual in German localities,
quite number Of children were playing up
o. the street, and ey grecdily seized the
tempting candies thus gratuiiously thrown
in their way. Occasionally the man would
give Q package o. persons he met, but in
these instances the parties declined tasting,
suspecting something wrong. Not 70, how
ever, with the unsuspecting children, who
grcedily devoured the to them dainty waits,
nd in q short time afterwards they were
taking with violent vomiting. The neigh
borLood became speedily alarmed, and Drs.
smith, Davis and Fries were summoned.
who speedily detected the action Of poison,
aud upon chemist in the ncighborhood, Mr..
Eckel. analyzing n loxenre It was found TO
be composed Of equal parts Of arsenic, sugar
and flour. In the track which tho man, or
rather, monster, had taken, rs many rs
800 Of these death dealing drops were found
in ono pile, and in another spot one-fourth
pound Of arsenic was found tied in couple
VI parcels.
The ncighborhood became fearfally excit-
ed, for at least twenty children had more o,
less partakcn Of the insidious poison The
hrst victim was fine little boy named JOIN
Shultz, aged nine years, whose parents re.
side on Buckeye street, near Poplar III,
expired about Co'clock in the evening. W,
were present when the Coroner held ,his in
quest, and more melancholy sight II I'm
hardly been our lot to witness. The mothe
Of the dead child had few days prcyiou
been confined, and, in the same room, he
eldest born lay stiff and rigid corse, Will
the newborn infant sought in vain Cor noul
tSuuscut tIOslt tue mateJuai UIehst, the luttt
Of which sudden grief and agony had drie,
Her two other children had also partakc
u the poisoned drops, and lay sick in I'll
same room, but they were pronounced on
of danger.
Immediately upon the other side Of III
street, another promising child named Henri
SchwArts, about / o'clock last night, il sal
to have brcathed its last and at the tim
We visited the poisoned district some r.,
Or five other children, male and female, wei
supposed to be in very critical condition
We heard also that several similar cases Ia
occurred on Fifteenth, between Race an
Elm streets; but We were unable to glea
particulars.
Ii is with heartfelt pain that we are cou
PEELED to cord crime which makes I
blush for our Common nature. Such a fen
IS the perpetrator oi tine above atrocitie
might well cause us Ia rather claim kindre
with tho brute and forswcar our RELATIONSHIP
with the human species. II is to be hope
that no pains will be spared Ia hunting Il
vampire TO his lair.