The Osceola times., 1881-08-27
POISONED BY PHOSPHORUS.
Two Toddlipg Boys Poisoned by Eating the
Heads of Matches.
Denver Tribune.

Heads of Matches.
Denver Tribune.
Two little boys, George and Freddie,
the children of Mr.. Gottlieb Koch. a
well-known wagon-maker Of the west
side, who lives at No. pa Holiday street
were poisoned by some mysterious
means yesterday morning. George, the
elder, aged 3 years. died about lOo'clock
last night, and at a late hour this morn
ing Freddie, aged years, was believed
to be beyond the possibility of recovery.
When Mr.. Koch went home from his
work shop for dinner, at noon yesterday,
lie found both children sick, but still
running about the house and the yard,
though occasionally vomiting and purg-
ing. Mrs. Koch informed her husband
that the children had been out at play
for an hour or two before and had just
returned home. the parents asked nu-
merous questions with the hope Of as,
certaining the cause of their illness and
the only intelligent reply was that they
had eaten some jelly which they found
in a can in the alley.
The symptoms of the little sufferer
grew worse every moment, the mother
meanwhile administering teas and othes
simple remedie3 until at last both boys
were urostratcd and about 3 o'clock IN
the afternoon DR.. Elsner WAS called to
see them. Tue condition OF the younget
child was then apparently the mosr
s,rious. and his life was despaired OF.
Dr. Elsner examined the discharges,
both iIom stomach and bowels, and de-
tecied a strong sulphurous odor, whlcl
led him ut once to the conclusion that
the children were poisoned by swallow
in. the sulphur from the heads OF match
es. That they were poisoned was sci
evident fact, and every symptom indl-
Gated that the poison was a pnosphorlc
acid poison as deadly as strychnia ana
tor hiCh there il no antdOte. In an
swer to the inquiries of a reporter Tor
the Tribune, who visited the house OF
Il c d,stres sed parents at midnight, the
physician said the only available rene.
dy was AN admlyture of carbonate OF
ma.uesa, animal charcoal, lime water
and turpentjne. These things would not
serve as an an,idote, bat would prevent
the rapid absorption OF the poison by the
system If taken in time.
A prescription Of this compound was
filled and the Doctor applied himself TO
the work OF saving life. When he LETT
the house late in the afternoon both pa
tieuts we're apparently better. D
o'clock George was out of bed and walk
ing about the house. The younger one
II tV.ved but was to weak to stand upon
lis feet. Both continued perfectly ra-
uonal and answered all question asked
them by their parents, but when asked
il they had had any matches they sad
they did not know. George remained
out uf bed until about I O'Clock, when he
laid down again, but did not appear to
be very sick. The parents continued to
administer the medicines, according 10
the physicians directions, and kept a
close watch over the little sufferers. A
few moments before 10 O'Clock Mr.. Koch,
while sitting by the bedside, asaed
GCorCie some questions, which he an
swered freely and talked chcefiullv with
| his father. Suddenly, while in the midst
| of sentence, he paused, looked appeal-
| ingly into his fathers face, then threw
| his head back, with spasmodic move
ment, upon his pillow, gasping as il from
suilocation, and became as still as though
| he had dropped into peaceful slumber.
| The father bent over him, raised his
/ head between bis hands and found that
| the little fellow was dead. The most
| serious apprehension was then felt for
the younger child, and DIR. Elsner was
| speedily recalled. He found the child
almost puiseless, but in such condition
that he could not pronounce him in i'm
minent danger though he had but little
# any hope of his recovery. lie feared
hat death would take place before the
night was passed, but said it was possible
| he might live some days.
Having no reason TO change bis opin-
ion as to the nature of the poison, he
could do nothing more than leave in
/ structions for the proper use of the
medicines prescribed in the afternoon.
Besides these indications, as stated
from which the physician formed his
conclusions, there was strong smell of
matches upon the hands of the children,
and he thought that though they might
have been poisoned from something
| else, they had undoubtedly swallowed
the phosphorus from matches also.
Coroner Linton accompanied the
| physiciaa to the house of Mr.. Koch and
postponed the inquest until 10 O'Clock
this morning, when post-mortem
examination will be made in order to
learn positively the cause OF death.