Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-01-31
Local and state TENS.

SINGULAR OAsR-A FAMILY POISONED.
A rather singular case of polsonig oc.
Cured In our village on Tuesday even
ing last, in the family of A. W. Clark,
ESQ, on Grove street. 1t appears that
on the evening mentioned the family,
consisting of some ten persons, partook
as usual of the evening meal, and all
passed Off with wonted peasantness
until between nine and ten O'Clock, when
several members of the household We're
each in turn taken with purging and
vomiting, and soon, the sickness becom-
Ing more alarming, physicians Were
called in, among them DR.. Middleton
Goldsmith, who, upon an investigation,
pronounced the cause OF the sickness to
be the presence Of arsenic or some other
corrosive poison in the stomachs of the
afflicted. And as a proof that they
were correct in their presumption, the
antidotes which they administered to
counterfeit the poison had the desired
effect, and the parties soon became to a
greater or lesser extent relieved. The
parties taken sick were Mr.. and Mrs. A.
w. Clark, host and hostess of the house,
and one of their children, Mr.. and Mrs.
Jas. H. Dyer and Mr.. and Mrs. II. w.
Kingsley, the four latter boarders in the
family Of Mr.. Clark.
The supposition is that poison was
contained in the food of which the
above mentioned partook at the evening
meal, but as Mr.. Whitney, another
boarder in the family, as we'll as one of
Mr., Clarks children and a servant girl
partook heartily of the same food, and
were in no manner afflicted like the
other members of the household, the
case remains wrapped in mystery.
DR.. G. L. Allen has in his possession
portions of the principal articles of food
upon the table at the meal mentioned,
and will at once commence a chemical
analysis Of the same, the results of
which we will give to our readers as
soon as practicable.
Five of the parties are still confined
to their beds, in consequence of the
poison introduced into their system,
though the only ones who are seriously
ailing are Mr.. Dyer and Mrs. Kingsley.
BRANDoN,-Rev. VIM. s. Smart deliv-
cred his lecture upon "The Battle of
Gettysburg" on Tuesday evening, to a
large and appreciative audience. As an
orator, Mr.. Smart has few equals in the
country. His figure is tall, erect and
commanding; his voice is deep, rich and
flexible; his language chaste and ele-
CANT. His utterances are earnest and
fervid, and you never labor under the ap.
prehension that he will violate the die
tates Of good taste for the sake of effect.
There are no melO-dramatic extrava-
gances in his manner, nor "spread-
eagle in his rhetoric. He deals little
in mere distractions. Hespeaks easily,
naturally, and to the point, because he
has something to say. He appeals to
the judgment at the same time that he
touches the heart, and before you are
aware Of it, you are impelled forward by
the resistless tide Of his eloquence, till
your own individuality is merged in the
theme he is presenting. For an hour
and quarter the speaker rivited the
closest attention of his audience while
he portrayed the stirring events of thai
memorable three days conflict. Like a
huge panorama the bloody battle field of
Gettysburg was unrolled before you.
The disposition of the conteuding hosts
was mapped out with military precis-
ion. You heard the roar of artillery,
the CHATTER of musketry, the tramp of
hostile armies, the demoniac yell of the
enemy, and the groans of the wounded.
All the exciting incidents Of the battle
field were graphically portrayed. You
saw the fierce sabre charge, the rout, the
retreat, the begrim.ned and mutilated
remains of the dying and the dead. and
amid all the din and carnage, you were
made to feel that the sacrifice, costly as
it was, was not in vain. The speaker
paid a glowing tribute to the valor of
the Vermont troops. Every Vermonter
who listened to the recital will feel q
just pride in the reflection that our own
boys in blue acted so conspicuous a
part on that ever memorable Sd of July,
1868, in turning the still doubtful tide
of battle against the invader.
PoULTEEY. - The Poultney Musical
Union held it's first concert on Tuesday