The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-24
FRIED BLUEFISH
The Late Fish Poisoning in Will
liamSburg.
"Cockling"-How Blue6sh are Caught and the
Bait Used-What the Doctor Who Attended
the Family Says-Was 1t Coculus Indi-
ousl-No Analysis Made-How Sum-
mer Boarding Houses are Supplied
with Dace, Pike and Pickerel.

with Dace, Pike and PiCkerel.
The poisoning OF an entire family on last Sunday
morning in Williamsburg from eating certain
bluefsh has caused an uneasy feeling in the omnlv
orous stomach Of Gotham. The facts Of the case
were duly published In the HERALD, and the sur
misses Of few as to the cause have already caused
q considerable falling of in the sale OF that inno
cent and delicious article OF "prOg." Anxious
that an intelligent public, looking up to
mighty journalistic power, for light on all subjects
should be fully informed this latest fish sensa
ton, HERALD reporter paid visit yesterday to
the wholesale fish market at Fulton ferry. The sales
for the day were mostly over and the interior Of the
market was in deghtly sloshy state, consequent
on the process OF cleaning up the STANDS.
RED HEADED AQUARIUs
directing hose over the stone floor, was hailed and
asked If any wholesale vendor OF pisces was on
hand.
"Most all gone home them dealers Look out for
your patent feathers"
stream of water from the aforesaid hose caused
the reporter Jump at least six feet backward and
to give up questioning aquarius. Inquiry at the
offices for
LIVE, FRESH DEALER
| resulted in a journey up companion stairway to
find q jOly-looking mortal seated at o desk, whose
patronymlc was Miller, Of the firm Of Charles B.
Miller Co., wholesale fish merchants, No. IA Fulton
Market This gentleman smiled broadly and then
INDUCED in hearty laugh when the subject Of
"BIuedsn p he echoed. "why there amt inner
| fish, sweeter fish or fatter FISH anywhere"
fine, sweet FAT fisn may be a very nnwhoesome
fish for family diet, If served with srycnnIne sauce
VI PIscEs1My dear sir / laughed when heard it.
not at the unfortunate family, but at the
| SPECIAL IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE.
Do you know how buefsh caughtY
REPORTER-With sguid and sometimes with bait
| PIscEs.Do you know how we use The bait and
| AS this seemed to tend towards interviewing the
reporter the latter me! the aggressive fisherman in
! detail the material and the process, as
the matter seemed, to be weighing on his
knowledged the compliment and cast up
his knowledge OF bluefshing readily the whale
the IMPRISONED prophet tickled the sea monsters
pnarynx with straw. he sald:-
.Biue1sh Is . game and ravenous nsh, biting at
block tin squid as readily as anything else. on
| It's high sport to go for 'em. Let me have good
hne and let me strike school"
PisoEs-well. I'm talking about sport and you're
talking business. When l send out a schooner l
WA ', FISH FOR AMUSEMENT LIKE LORDS
or millonnalres No. SIR. First oiIarhey get their
| sandy Hook. There they buy bait. The bait we
use is the Manhadon fish: some call them moss
hne, and OF she goes looking for a school, the
sibie,
| WHILE THE BAIT IS FRESH;
for It's no II stale. Now when school of blue
sh Is struck the schooner is brought TO- and maybe
| course you know, the manhadon is an oily fish, and
uess on Se at onee as
easy work then catching him with hook and line.
RBPoRTBR-How long has this mode OF blue
PIscEs-Not more than three years. They've
caught mackerel that way for many day; out it's
chopped BONES could
FOOL SCHOOL OF BLuEF1su
REPORrBR-Are you aware OF anything being
mixed with the manhadon batS
PIsCEs-No, Sir. never heard Of such thing
good fresh bait. have known schooner with stale
bait not take one FISH 10 ten taken by another with
fresh bait. have known one Of our schooners TO
start out with bait. and being Kept on the fishing
| ground by bafiing easterly winds for week have
| to come back here for fresh ice and fresh BAIT.
| REPoRTER-You are, OF course, aware that strych-
nine COcus indtcatS are alleged 10 ue In use for
| mIxipp with the baitf
| PIscEs-You can depend upon it that there's
nothing OF the kind used in Dluehshng,
| LEAsTwAYs, WITH Us,
| which is all ought TO vouch for. We get great
, deal OF bIuehsb from Matthias Vineyard. don't
know what bait they use there but their fishing is
over the schooner's side. Their fish comes on
by train, packed In ice. l look upon 1t as great
| shame to give Duefsh q bad name. Why we sell
out OF this market in the may he thirty thou
sand fish, weighing, perhaps, one hundred thousand
buensn would supply New York. Tney didn't
know w1at they were; No SIR co. I'm nj tairty,eght
| nor any know have ever used
ANY UNFAIR MEANS TO TAKE A Pm
REroRTER-But fish are brought here from all
PIsCEs-Certainly. That Williamsburg fish re-
Sos a oSy an9s
itT' says my dad. "A quart OF mix, pop, says l.
nor dont blame the mix separate, but lay il on me
two OF them together" And so I'd like to know
there warnr something wrong somewhere outside
OF the fish.
burg and at 1856 South Third street found Mrs. Cook
the mother Of the poisoned family. on the top floor
looking happy among her three olive branches. She
HERSELF AND CHILDREN DOING WELL,
Likewise her aunt, who had also partaken OF the sh
profession, was Still suffering from pains IN the mead
and burning SKIN, but able 70 be at work. Mrs.
what che had fried the FISH In she REPLIED
mine frying PAM
| ~ mean what grease did you user,
~ didn. use no crease; fry HIM IL mine pu'ter;
you used II pyevlouslyp'
| putter everything
" DID you notice any peculiar appearance in the
fish N'
| sdripes und plackish. My huspand find some smell
IN de puensh; he dake some medicine yet already"
| lis there any OF the hsh leit2'
Gle was only tree pounds and dere was six OF
u.s. We eave de pones und little bit near de tall"
The reporter next called at 200 south Fifth street,
/ where resides Dr. f. Rebmann, the son Of Hippo
crates who attended the poisoned family and whose
commendabe promptness got them over their
| danger. That gentleman described
| THE SYMPTOMS EXHIBITED
| by The family as resembling those occasioned by
! cocuus indcus. slight tetanus was exhibited IN
| the necks OF the old lady ana the baby; violent
| pains the head, burning skin; faint, rapid
pulse 100 10 The minute; swelling or the cheeks
ana lips and peculiar brilliancy OF the eye with
a dated pupil. There were no pains In the stomach,
| but inclination 10 vomit. This he assisted with
an emetc. The symptoms were manifested within
| twenty minutes after eating the fish, He did not
think tnat II could be copper poisoning. and did not
think II was strychnine He considered IL dficuIt
| now 10 decide. CocuIus indicus--the poisonous
principle OF which N pykr0toxin-he said belonged
tUa family OF poisons such rs strychnine and bru
cine similar In effects, just as opium, morphine and
basheesh were, as were, Of family OF narcotcs.
| lie was
UNABLE TO PROCURE ANY OF THE FISH
for analysis The man who sold the nsn had stated
TO the doctor that on the day In question he had
sold sixty pounds OF blue1sh and had heard Of no
other complaint. The doctor iurther stated that