The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-22
DEATH-DEALING SWEETS.
TWO CoLoRED CHILDREN FIND A
HORRIBLE FATE IN CANDY.
"Taffy on Jack" Conceals Poison That
Transforms the Healthy Partakers
Into Hideously Enlarged Corpses--
Singular Cases.

Two cases of the most insidious poison
ing, causing the death OF n sister and
brother, one three and the other thirteen
years old, occurred in Chelsea in the past
three days. Both died most horrible
deaths, and their corpses presented the
most revolving and sickening sight. In a
tenement-house down in the sunken and
lower end OF Grant avenue, which runs be-
tween Fifth and Sixth streets, lived Mary
Merriwether, in one room, with her two
children, Annie, aged fourteen. and little
son, George, aged three years. The
mother and daughter both worked
out, and were away from the
house all the day, while the boy was left
in the care Of woman in the tenement.
Saturday, week ago, when the girl re-
turned home, on her way she bought 3
cents worth OF candy, and on reaching
home partially divided Il with her little
brother. The candy was innocent and
tasteful enough looking, being six small
balls OF what is known by children as
"Taffy on Jack, the Jack" under the
sugar-coated surface is either small brass
or steel plaything, resembling two dumb
bells crossed, which children throw upon
hard surface, having five In the hand at
the time, and catch ~ they rebound.
They are thus put up by the ingenious
makags in order all the more 10 make
chiloburchase them. The girl gave her
baby brother two OF these, and she took
four They ate the candy from around
them that night, and the next day she
with other children had game OF jacks
with her new brass-plaled toys.
Monday morning the little boy was sick
and could not be induced TO take any
kind OF food. His mother stayed at home
with him, but sent the little girl TO her
work. Through the day the child grew
worse, and when the daughter came home
that evening she too was sick. and could
not eat any supper. Both OF the children
were quite sick all day Tuesday, and
Wednesday morning the youngest WIS
taken 10 DIR. Cochran's near by. lie saw
that the child was very sick and treated il
for congestion. lie only saw IL twice, and
treated II gratuitously.
Both children were unconscious from
the inception Of their sickness. The eld-
est rayed aud could hardly be restrained
in bed. Before they were sick twenty
four hours there was plainly noticeable on
their teeth Shiny, greenish matter, and
as they grew worse the green foam exuded
from their mouths.
The youngest died In the most excruci-
adng paroxysms late Friday night, and
even before death ensued its stomach had
swollen out Of all proportion, and the
stencil arising from the corpse was 80 I'M
endurable that IL had 10 be buried early
the next day.
All this time the eldest was raving in
agony, the green vertigris exuding from
her mouth. aud the corrosive matter form
ing upon her teeth. DIR. Winston was
called In TO see her at the early stage
OF her sickness, and thought
that she too was suffering from congestion.
The mother being poor, the medical treat
ment gwen her children was altogether
gntutitous, and doubtless the physicians,
who are both excellent gentlemen, would
have continued their service II the de-
mand had been made.
On Sunday morning about 10 o'clock
the girl died in most horrible
pain. and from a tenant In the
house II was learned that decom-
position had actually set in several
hours before her death. 30 great was the
decomposition that persons could not re-
main in the room with the corpse. Like
her brother, her body too was swollen TO
almost twice its ize. Both Of the dead
children had been In the most perfect
health for months, and those who waited
upon them are thoroughly satisfied that IL
was eating the poisonous candy that caused
their death.
Their awful fate should prove at least
one purpose, and that rs TO warn children
In buying thcse poisonous coated toys
And another purpose Il should also serve,
the shopkecper who sells them should be-
punished 10 the full extent Of the law. In
this instance II Is not known from whom
tho girl bought tho stuff, ~ she was not