The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-07-06
Selected 9elistrllanp.
THE TRICUINIOsIs IN IOWA.
A Strange and Horrible Story.

StIahSc anu uOTTiDlc StOTy'
Accounts have already been published
Of the death Of several persons in Iowa from
the trichin@ of pork. A Chicago oorrespon.
dent of tho New York Ners tells a fright
ful and highly improbable story in regard
TO the manner in which the disease was in.
troduced into Iowa. We give it for what
it is worth r...
Tho writer says that a man named John
Olasson OF small means and less conscience,
but of great business acuteness, settled
down i'll Iowa as II drover, dealing princ.
pally In hogs, and gradually making money.
One day II German emjgraut came along,
and asked OlaSson to cmplny him. He was
engaged to work on the farm during the
season. lie hal just arrived from Kiol, in
Germany, aud was well educated, philo.
sophie, but poor man. Among his effects
was small microscope aud some hog meat
| (part OF ham) filed with tFichim SpiIdiiS
the dreaded worm which germinutes equally
well IN the muscles OF hog or man. The
microscope Uan detect these it ia said at
! the rate Of two hundred thousand in cubic
inch.
The German explained to Classon the
cases which he had seen in Germany, aud
mentioned incidentally that the German au-
thorities had offered reward equal to
about seventy.dve dollars for every hog
found to contain trichin@.
Classon examined the piece nf pork and
Immediately laid out his plan of action for
! ono of the most vilanous schemes that ever
entered into the brain of man. lie bought
five hundred hogs, cut the trichinasis pork
| into small Fragments, and gave these frag.
ments to his hogs, taking care that every
hog, as far as possible, should get portion
of the infected meat. Tho result was in
less than two months the muscles of each
! hog were thoroughly infected.
! 1t may be incidentally mentioned that all
pigs, as soon as born were killed, and
thrown to the hogs as food, thus spreading
the worm horror through tho whole drove.
About the lst of June the fiend John
ClassOn, let out that he was willing to sell
| a few hogs cheap for cash. TO his neigh bors,
as he did not have room TO keep the large
quantity on hand. This aoon became nosed
about, and u great many families bought
one and two hogs each, and killed them for
family consumption. tfs
The result is too we'll known. Death has
already come into one or two families, and
large numbers of men, women aud children
are suffering most terrible pangs and long
ing for death as a relief from this terrible
horor-a slow consuming, unreachable
and insidious foe.
The appearance of those attacked is most
terrible. Just before death tho victim
writhes in agony T; his body swells TO twice
its natural size, and cracks burst open in
his flesh. After his death he Immediately
becomes one mass of putrelaction
Tho author of ell this was patiently wait
ing his time. lie expected that the State
authorities would immediately offer large
reward for every infected hog, as the su.
thoriiies did in Germany, and then his last
speculation would prove the most profitable
one he had ever entered upon.
But lie waited in vain. The Agricultural
Society OF the State have not sent ont one
word; in fact, the State has not officially
recognized the existence of the horror in
any way. Pork is tabooed by everybody.
aud the pork market has not single de-
maud for its product. ftI.Es
The German whom Classon employed
began 10 have suspicious that all was not
right in tho conduct of his employer. lie
made examinations of the hogs that Glasson
had on hand, and became convinced that
every one was infected. On further in
vestigation. he found out from one of the
children that Cassom had cut the liam
brought from Germany, aud had given it to
the hogs. He Immediately accused his
employer, but Classon laughed at him, till
the chain of proof became 50 strong that he
was forced to acknowledge the deed. lie
offered the German halt his farm and all
the drove Of hogs if he would keep the
affair secret. He undoubtedly thought that
If the German would accept the drove he
could make him the principal of the horrid |
crime and thus escape tho vengeance which |
would otherwise fall Oh himself. But the !
German refused all, and immediately i'll
formed the authorities what had been done. |
CassOn, fearing this, in the meantime ran
away. His actions and flight were screened |
from the public in order that the aulhori-
ties might not overtake him. But there is
a rumor that he is caught, and ere this
reaches you lie will probably be in the
hands of the officers or else far beyond
pursuit.
The tidings Of his devilish work and es-
cape, on becoming known, caused the most
intense excitement and il was feared Tor n
while that the family would become vic
tins to the fury Of popular opinion" But,
fortunately. the citizens restrained them
selves from any dsgraeelul action against
tho guiltless family OF the incarnate iend,
and the property remains untouched, ex
cepting the hogs. These infected animals
were mercifully slaughtered by large
crowd of men and boys who, after killing
and wounding two or three hundred 10y |
their rifles, jumped into the incosure and
killed tie remainder With axes. They were
then buried in deep trench on Classons
farm, and care taken that other animals do
not wander in the vicinity of the terrible
and infected spot AS seon as sufficient
lime can be procured the Intention is TO
have the bodies Of the hogs consumed.
A cURATG having been overhaued by
his bishop for attending bal, the former
ranlieh ilMv Lord | wnrn n mnRk I ~ itOh