The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-22
CHEESEl
A Number Of Families I'oironed-A unc,.u,e,
TINT sihOnld BE Pnninhnh.

A Number of Families Poisoned-A HnclSster
That should Be Punished.
Some time during yesterday q huckster named
James Patton, whilstprocecding along Delaware
avenue, was accosted by merchant, who hired
him to haul away and bury some cheese. Patton
accepted the job, and loading his cart with the
IS utt started Oft. Whilst driving down town
he conceived the idea of selling the dairy pro-
duct, reckoning that his receipts would ali be
placed on the debit side of his personal ledger
Accordingly he entered small street in the
lower portion of the city named Childs aud
commenced disposing of the hitherto unmer-
charitable article at the small price of ten cents
per pound. number of families purchased
the cheese and ate freely of it.. In q short time
they were attacked with vomiting and purging,
and experienced all the symptoms attendant on
the disease styled by medical men 'cholera
morbus."
1t appears that the huckster first entered
Woodbine street and offered "on sale" the
cheese TO lady who keeps a restaurant. She
refused to buy 1t, saying that the price at which
he offered it was sufficient guarantee that it was
worthless.
He then proceeded further down the street.
and succeeded in selling several pounds of the
article to the residents. The purchasers made
use of the cheese by serving it up for the even
ing meal, and the consequences were sickness
on the part OF each and every one who partook
Of it.
From Woodbine street he proceeded to
Childs street. and there sold several pounds of
the "stuff.' This morning we called upon one
OF the buyers, named Mrs. Andrews, residing
No. l14O Childs st., who made the following
statement:-
II have never been in the habit of purchasing
from hucksters, my husband giving me orders
| to the contrary, but my attention being called
! to thi cheese, thought it was q bargain, and
! therefore purchased some of it.
''The cheese was somewhat mouldy and made
! mention of the fact to Mr.. Patton, who said that
! the mouldiness" only existed in the centre,
/ and did not injure the cheese. gave some of
| it to my children and ate some myself. In o
| short time we were attacked with vomiting and
| n deathly sickness, and L thought for a time
| that we would all die. My daughter Susanna
laid in commissions the whole night and the rest
| of my family were almost similarly affected"
! The child Susanna laid on the sofa during our
| visit. and showed palpabe evidence of having
| experienced severe suffering.
From the residence of Mrs. A. we wended our
way to HAY street, and found that almost all the
families in that locality had been poisoned by
the same article. One lady stated that her
whole family, consisting of five persons, were
all attacked with vomiting and purging, and
she was forced to call in the family physician.
Meeting DR.. Creadick, we questioned him as o
the matter, when he replied that he knew
nothing of it, further than being called on to
attend n number of patients. The symptoms he
stated were all similar to those attendant on
chelera morbus, but he had not as yet definitely
ascertained the direct cause.
The affair appears somewhat mysterious, and
needs unravelling. Some of the parties contend
that the cheese Is poisoned Others state that il
was 'doctored,n whilst few others attribute
the matter to the disease styled trichinG. As
yet no solution has been reached, but we would
advise his Honor the Mayor to direct his 'spe
Gals to ferret out the man Patton, and compe
him to make full statement OF the affair.