The Portland daily press., 1886-10-21
POISONED TO DEATH.
The Disastrous Results OF Cider
Mixed with EmbaImIng Fluid.

| Tuesday afternoon, shortly after dinner,
| James w. Dennett son of Civil Engineer
| W. S. bennett of Saco, drank tumblerful
of new cider which had been brought to the
house that day, and almost Immediately be-
gan to feel unwell. He grew worse so rapid
ly that about o'clock DIR. Kimball was
summoned, who pronounced his symptoms
to be similar to those of poisoning. He,
however, could find nothing to base his sup
positions upon, and it was not until about6
o'clock, when both Mr.. and Mrs bennett
tasted of the cider in small quantities and
were almost prostrated in the same manner
as their son, that DIR. Kimball made up his
mind as to the real cause of the trouble. DIR.
Kimball applied every remedy in his power
and StrOve with all his skill to wrestle with
the grim destroyer. At ~ O'Clock DR.. Hall
was called in, but the combined efforts of the
two physicians were inadequate, and at
twenty minutes past two in the morning
James W. bennett died in great agony.
The parents, who had received unremit-
ting attention, were now pronounced out of
immediate danger and a search was insti-
tuted for the keg containing the fatal liquid.
When found one end was marked Spring
field,' and just below, running almost at
right angles, was branded in distinct letters
the ominous word Poison: The keg was of
the five gallon size and it was at once sus-
pected to have been used to contain embalm-
ING fluid. 1t was then ascertained that the
cask came from one Frank Wildes, who
lives at Union Falls in house near the
dam on the river, who is employed by w. S.
bennett, and whose business is to raise and
lower the gates at the dam.
Some ten days ago, Frank Wlldes went TO
Dennis OConnOr, the undertaken OF Bidde-
ford, and got three ive-gallon casks, two OF
which he paid for, the third to be filed with
cider and returned to Mr.. O'ConnOr Now,
one of these casks had contained embalming
fluid, known to be a deadly poison. 1t has
been five years. so Mr. OConnor stated yester-
day morning, since he had bought or handled
any fluid in such large quantity. He said
that an employe came near being killed by it
some three years ago, and since that time he
bought only enough for immediate use. He
denied knowing the keg was among those
sold and that he even touched them when
the transfer was made.
In an interview with Mr.. Wildes, however,
Mr.. Wil1es was equally positive that MIR.
0'Connor picked out the kegs and helped to
load them on the team. He also states that
Tuesday morning, before putting the cider
in the cask, he carefully rinsed it out with
hot water from the kitchen tea-kettle. The
cider was drawn directly from the cheese"
in the press, and was from the same lot as
was that in another fve-gallon keg and two
two-gallon jugs that were brought to Bidde-
ford and drank with no i'll effects. During
the interview, Mr.. Wildes also stated, in
contradiction to the testimony of Drs. Hall
and Kimball, that there was no visible mark
of poison on the cask; that the only marks
were. Worcester Mass, to Biddeford, Me-,
for Dennis O'Connor."
An Associated Press despatch last night
said: Mrs. bennett still lies in a critical
condition, and Mr.. bennett has not fully re-
covered. 1t is not known tonight whether
coroner's inquest will be held. Every
body declares that an investigation should
be made and the blame attributed to whom
it belongs. Undertaken O'Connor of Bidde-
ford, who sold the empty cask which once
contained embalming fluid, claims he did not
know it was among the number sold. Frank
Wild5s, who sold the cider. says the word
'poson" was covered by a tag and he did
not see it.