The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-04-28
A Mysferious Affair

4 PRO HINEET CITIZEN, FIVE MEMBERS OF MS
FAMILY. TWO GUESTS, AND THREE SERVANTS
POISONED.
MIR. William S. Donnan, well known
cit'zen, VINO resides on Twelfth street be-.
tween Clay and Marshall, was taken sud-
denly I'LL on Sunday afternoon, together
with his entire family Except his daughter,
hirs. Wilson, and her child. At one time
It was feared they had al! been poisoned and
1t was supposed that the poison had been
taken Id some custard which the family ate
Of at dinner.
Rev. DR.. Pryor, Of Nottoway, who was a
guest of MIR. Doundn's; Mr.. f. n. Conner.
of this city, who was also dining with the
family, and two or three of the servants.
were taken very sick absnt the same time,
Er. Conner being attacked at Ford's Hotel
1t became generally known that the family
had been either Intentionally or uninten-
ticnally poisoned, when Rev. Mr.. Staples an.
nounced from the pulpit of the First Pres
byterlan church, at night, that DR.. Pryor,
who was expected to fill the pulpi. of that
church, would not be able to attend on az
count Of sickness, and that Mr. Donnan's
family were also seriously indisposed from
(it was thought) eating the custarG. Tic
announcement created intense excitement,
ana after church large number of the male
members OF the congregation visited Dir.
DonnanIs house, and offered their assistance.
Mr.. Allan bOnnan was taken sick on
Broad street, and went Immediately home.
TWO OF the servants were attacked at church.
and had to come out and 90 home. DR.. }
S. Wexford, who is MIR. Donnan's family
physician, vas summoned about O'Clock in
the afternoon, but the family were suffering
So much tllit it was deemed expedient to
call in DR.. K. G. Cabell before Or. Wexford
could reach the house. When DR.. Wexford
arrived he found so many sick that at his
solicitation Dr.. Cabell remained undaSSisted
him.
Mr.. Allan Donnan, OF Petersburg, was so
i'll that DR.. Wexford advised the family here
to telegraph to Petersburg for his father to
come over. DR.. Welltord remained with
him during the night, and when he left the
house yesteid day morning he. as we'll Us the
rest of the family, were out of all danger.
hrs. Wilson did not eat of the custard
although she gave her Child some Of the cake
which was part of the dessert. They were
not affected, aud as they partook OF The rest
of the dinner. it is supposed that the family
were made sick from eating the cuStard.
Yesterday afternoon Or. w. II. Taylor, CT
this city, by request, made partial exlmi-
nation of the cake, custard, and few Jumps
of the cut-loaf sugar from which the custaTd
had been made. The examination was di.
rected especially to the discovery Of arsenic,
iuasmuch as the symptoms appeared to be
characteristic Of that poison. The result,
however, showed that there was no arsenic
in the portions examined by him.
1t is said that there was not and has not
been any arsenic in the house for some time.
except a bottle Of "Fowler's Solution,"
which had been prescribed as medicine, and
none is missed out OF this bottle.
The vessels in which the custard was pre-
pared were not such as are calculated to
have contaminated it with poison, and the
illness Of the family is as yet ineXplicabe.
The family do not suspect any one of hav-
ing poisoned them, and they think if their
sickness was owing to poison that it was
purely accidental. 1t was currently reported
yesterday that the cnstard had been favored
with the oil Of bitter almonds, which is poi
sonous, but in reality it was favored with oil
Of lemon,
In tiew of all these facts, and the serious
indispositiou Of six members Of the family,
three servants and two guests, all affected
about the same time, and while they were
at different localities, it can scarcely be doubt
ed that they were poisoned, but whether it
was accidental or intentional, remains to be
aseertained by i thorough Investigation.