New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-13
DANGER IN RAMBLING BUFFALO HIDES


soRBED THROUGH A PIMPLE
The death of samuel McWlliams. who was
poisoned while banding East India bufa OXIDES
for c. b. Horton d Co.. of No. 80 Coolest. has
caused no htiie excitement among the lealher
dealers in the Swamp The way in which he "as
poisoned is still matter of doubt the only theory
that has been advanced that has met win any
degree of favor by his physician and men IN the
trade Is that the buffalo died from murraln ana
that the curing of the hide with arsenic had created
a poisonous virus. with which McWilliams was
inOculatcd. The hides were received from
Ca,cutta on July ana the bales were
united and the skins stacked. McWilllams, and
ieilow-woI kman named Mlchael donovan per
splred profusely and rubbed the, moisture from
their faces with their bare hands. Each of the men
had pimple the left SIDE of his face, and II IS
thought that their b God became poisoned by that
means Donovan became very i'll, but finally re-
covered. McWiiliams experienced no trouble from
the poisoning until Friday, when his face, neck
and breast began To swell. lie continued 10 suHeI
until Sunday, when he died.
A TRIBUNE reporter called on Mr.. Horton yester-
day. and was informed that the hides when NC,
with ia wash called sheenam." com
posed of lime. mud and saltpetre. and that
as there was nothing poisonous about the prapara-
ton the man must have been poisoned in some other
way. There were hides shipped to TINS market
which We're treated with arsenic to keep the worms
out of them but they formed only one-twenileth
part OF the mportatOns. Mr.. Horton thought that
the man might have been InOcula ed by the animal
virus with some disease that the animal had ded
of, but he thought IT was improbable: McWlillams
had been employed by HIN since 1881 ana had
handled hundreds of hides. He was strong.
healthy man and had never complained OF beng
affected by the skins before Mr. Horton said that
he had never heard of similar case -,
A dealer in hides, in FeTy-st. said
had been poisoned by the hides but
that the cases were not frequent The man was
poisoned by the wash" he continued, winch the
Calcutta packers uso on hides. In the warm
weather, a small brown worm breeds Ill The hides
and if some precautiOn is not taken. destroys them
Arsenic Is the chemical that is generally used.
ShOuld "A handler
SKIN or any exposed part of his body, he becomes
poisoned. The most dangerous hides or all that
come to this city those from South America;
they are cured with the Buenos Ayres wash
powder called 'antiputrlan is also used but it is
quite harmless. l do not think that any hlue cuIed
with sheenam' could poison a handler unless the
animal had died from murrain or morn dlstenper.
The mrn are generally careless in ling foreign
hides and unqueStlonably run many rlsKs Oh Delng
poisoned"
LOWER BAIL SOUGHT FOR MISS LEONARD.
An application was made yesterday to Judge
Glider leeye to secure lower bail for Helen Leonard,
who is under indictment for shooting Mrs SARAH Z.
smith on June ID at the Office of DIR. Bl0ndel IN
East Nineteenth-st. Her counsel asked for lower
bail on the ground that Miss Leonard was SICK
and sho Md be released from Imprisonment and be-
canse tie case had been left long without trial
A letter from Dr. Hardy of the Tombs was shown,
Ger flying that Miss Leonard was suffering IRON
spinal irritation which might develop into mania If
she remained longer IN prison. In opposition TO the
motion an affidavit of Clarence II. SMITH the hus-
band of the woman who was shot, was produced.
Mr. Smith epeats the statements he has prey ously
made as to the manner In wnlch ne became
acquainted with Miss Leonard. Ho gives as
reason against a reduction of bail that he fears that
the prisoner is released she Will carry out threats
made against him. He expresses his belief in the
purity of his wife, with whom, Miss Leonard
charged Mr. Callaghan, her former lover had been
intimate. Judge Gidersleeve reserved his decision
on the question of bail.