National Republican., 1878-08-15
TIE FATAL BoEoGHA.
Was u Poison or Indigestion Tho Coroner
Thinks IL WAS the Latter.


The facts in the supposed poisoning case
which occurred Tuesday, August 10, from cat.
ing bologna sausage, as ascertsined by Re-
PUBLICAN reporter, are as follows: Mrs Ruck.
or, who, by way Of explanation, Is quite a
worthy woman, and tho wife sf an industrious
carpenter now working in Alexandria, left
her children at home on the morning Of the
above o-mentioncd day and went in search Of
sewing as she helps TO support the family in
that way. As before stated soon after return
ing home, about four o'clock, she gave tho
children lone twelve years old, Que five, and
the baby two years aud five months) their
rye bread and buttcr-the sausage and butter
having been purchased at neighboring gro
Gerry and provision store.
Mrs. Rucker also ate supper, and poor man
who often camo to the door of Mrs. Fuckers
house for aims received part of what re.
mained. Tho children partook of tho supper,
the youngest eating quite freely, as did tho
next youngest Tho eldest boy only ate a
small quantity. The result was that all who
had partakon Of the sausage were taken sick.
The youngest first (about four or five o'clock \,
tho external symptoms being palcness Of the
face and blucncss Of the lps. About five min
utcs aflor these symptoms were noticed the
child commenced vomiting, and elected a large
quantity of the undigested sausage, and seemed
to be temporarily relieved. but soon con-
vulsiou came on which could not bo controlled.
The mother, becoming alarmed, sent for DIR.
Il. B. Adams, but too late, as II seems, for the
little fellow died few minutes after the
doctors arrival. While the doctor was doing
all in his power to save the little sufferer his
attention was called to another child the five
year-Dld, lying on the bed presenting symp.
toms like the child that died. Upon question.
ing the mother he ascertaned that this Que
had also partakcn of the sausage. The doctor
then administered an emetic, and soon saw
the cause of tho child's sickness. In few
moments the mother was seized with cramps
and became cold, and It was with the greatest
efforts on the part of the physician that her
| life was saved. The Oldest boy, who had
eaten but little of the sausage, was only
slightly affected, but vomited several times
during tile night
Dr. Adams visited the family many times
during tho night and carly yesterday morn
ing, and did not consider thcn out Of danger
until later In the day. The coroner was sum.
mOucd, and in the presence of the physician
in attendance held q post-mortem examina.
| ton of the remains of the child who had
died. He found tho stomach still quito full
| Of the undigested meat and considerably con.
| jested. The coroner decided that death re-
suited from indigestion, owing to the quantity
and not quality of the food eaten, and ac'
cOriingly gave q certificate of burial
This decision Of the coroner Is disputed by
several who arc familiar with the crcum.
stances and the following facts are arrayed
| against him: There was only one pound oi
the sausage, which made a supper for five per
sons, two Of them grown, and there was still q
small piece left. A pound is hardly sufficient
to cause indigestion from ovcrcatng in five diff
! fcrent persons, as in this case five persons were
| sielr fhnngth ntllts tho tbot h,I,
the most died. 1t is remarkable fact tha,
the child should die of indigestion so soon
| tonly three-quarters Of an hour after eating
A reporter of The REPUBLICAN called
at the residence of Ms. Rucker yes
tcrday, and asccrtainCd that Mrs. Ruck
or and the children had eaten sausag,
| many times before, aul it never produced
any effects upon them; that the poor man
above mentioned, who ate OF the sausage, had
! had quite q bad night of 1t, having been taken
! in tho street, on his way home from Mrs
| Rucker's, with cramps and diL2iuoss, so that il
was necessary for him to be helped to his
| Lodgings, and physician was sent for; that
when the inmates OF the house entered the
| room after the examination they found d
4 basin which contained the contents Of the
dead chiIds stUllach. This led to tho suppo
SitOn that an analysis OF tho same had not
been made, but that the coroner came 10 the
conclusion that the child died of indigestion
merely from the full condition Of tho stomach
The remainder of the bologna has been sub,
mitted to the Agricultural Department for
) chemical examination, but whatever the result
Of the same may be 1t does not go to show that
the child was not poisoned by eating the bo.
lngna, for 1t stands to reason that OuC.laf o
the sausage might have contained pOlsOuOu,
matter and tho other half might have been
perfectly good. An entirely satisfactory con
clusion cannot be arrived at until an analyst
Of the contents Of the child stomach Is made
\ thorough inyesti CATION of tho case should bt
made.