New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-26
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
FAMILY POISONED AT PATERSON.
,yo PERSONS DEAD AND FOUR RECovERING-A
PIECE OF BEEF THE MEDIUM.

rwo PERSONS DEAD AND FOUR RECOVERNU-A
PIECE OF BEEF THE MEDIUM
extraordinary case of Wholesale poisoning was
reported yesterday from NO, ~ us rea Of tbs
nrem,ses two persons Law dead from the efiects APP
narenty of poison; two lay very Ill. ana TWO more
Who had been suffering with symptoms Ike those or
he other fonr were convalescent. The house is oc-
cupled by Robert McLaren, BLACK smith employed
in the Rogers Locomotive Works. The TWO DEAD per
sons were his son John, age SIX, and Wllllam bIacK
n carpenter who boarded with the McLarens. Inc
sick we're Robert McLaren and another son named
Thomas: and those who had recovered were Mrs
McIaren and a third son. The is most mys-
ferrous one The general supposltlon IS that the
poison was contained IN some beef when the lam
ily had in a stew for dinner on Wednesday. 49,
Mrs. McIarens story is to the effect that on We'd
nesday morning she went TO j. lunkers butcher
shop on Market-sl., near Mill, and bought portion
of shank of beef which the butcher cut on, as the
whole piece too large. AS no other cases OF
poisoning are reported from any other part OF the
city II is clear that there could have been nothing
the ina tier with the meat when the Ducner SOFA II,
assuming his statement to be true tnat ne sod out
all the meat IN his place on that DAY. mrs McLacl,
cOrrobOrates has story that the peel looked Ies anu
good. She had her purchase cut IN Two anu MN
piece made a stew for dlnner. before pIaclus /.
on the table she ate few spOOnsful OF me Dfoth,ou
did not eat any of the stew ar dinner All t!e resi- of
the family and the bosrder Black partook freely OF
the stew. Very soon after the meal ali SIX persons
ia ken violently SICK WIN pains ,hv Wian
Black who had gone to their work. came hurrNlng
back to the house and found those whom they had
toms as themselves. DR.. James Nj. Stewart was
summoned and attended the sufferers, making sew
eraI calls in the course OF Wednesday afternoon
and evening lie judged the symptoms to be
those of poisoning, and secured tho remain
ing piece of meat which had not been
cooked but afterward threw 1t away. as Health
Inspector William X. Newton had also secured
a portion of It, On Thursday DIR. Stewart judged
the sick persons to be recovering and ont of danger
30 he ieit town, having business esew here On
Thursday afternoon the condition OF Black ana the
six-year-Old boy McLaren became alarming. and as
Dr. Stewart could not bc found Dr. Blackwell was
summoned, but the two persons named died early
Yesterday morning. DR.. Blackwell gave 1t as hls
opinion that the symptoms OF the SICK and the dead
persons were those of mineral POISONING
he tact that seems to place II beyond doubt mat
the poison was IN the 1eet stew is lna1 MRS;
McLaren who tasted only little of it, was affected
slightly with the same symptoms which the others,
who ate more heartily, showed strongly Some
difficulty in the way of the determination OF the
presence OF poison IN the systems OF the persons
affected is due to the neglect OF those Ill charge
TO secure for al analysis any of the rejected
matter from their stOmachS until alter III
might have been all eliminated An analysis OF
the visccTa of the dead persons Will, however, be
made.
theory which is held by number of persons is
that the poison was placed in the food by the dead
carpenter. William Black. lie Is gwen anything
but a good name by those who knew him. He had
been irregular Ill his WORK aud ilyed part OF the
tine pauper. He did not live with his wife nor
support her. He had lad trouble with the Nc
Iarens recently and not on good terms with
them wien the fatal meal eaten. Black has
been heard to make threats against his own lie,
capable Of poisoning the food of his landlord Tor the
purpose of accomplishing at once suicide and re-
veuge. 1t also noticed that after the alarming
symptoms set IN Black was Tie only one OF the per-
sons affected who did not express any surprise.
Mrs. McLaren insists that there was no poison III
the house.