Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-10-17
LAST EDITION
AT DEATHS DOOR.
A whole Family Poisoned on Tenth
street.

"A Wn0le EHmly Io1boueN on tenth
street.
West Tenth street has been greatly
excited during the last elk days over the
arsenlcal poisoning OF the whole family
of John A. Lewis, who resides at No.
$40 West Tenth street.
Lewis is man of probably 35 mrs of
age, and is employed In the brickyard of
James Il: beggs. His family consists of
his mother, Mrs. Sarah s. Lewis. a
White-haired and highly-intelligent
woman; his wife; his son, Percy, aged
about twelve years; his daughter,
Iertie, a handsome, brown-eyed child,
aged 10. and his sister, Mrs Katie
bowers, prepossessing widow, who is
an enthusiastic bicyclist.
The first intimation they had of the
poisoning was after supper Saturday
evening, when Mrs Bowers complained
of strange feeling about the head, and
of sickness at the stomach Thinking a
ride in the open air would do her good
she mounted her bicycle aud took a run
on it until increasing illness and pain
forced her to return home. AS soon as
she arrived there she was pros trated and
became almost frantic from q violent
burning sensation of pain and nausea in
the stomach Nothing serious was sus
pected, however, and home remedies
only were applied
About eight o'clock John A. fLewis re-
turned from call with his wlie aad
complained that he was so sicl, rhat ne
would have TO go TO bed, which a. did
Next morning about 8 o'clrk sbe
mother, Mrs. Sarah l.. Lewis WAS raken
with the same symptoms and It was then
that DR.. T. A. Brown was sent for. Nv
this time all three of the sick persons
were in critical condition. suffering
from violent pain, nausea burning sem
satlons and swelling of the body.
Inc doctor came, examined the patients
and pronounced 1t a case of arsenical
poisoning of the worst kind, and admin
istered theproper antidotes.
After he had gone the children beoan
TO show symptoms of the poison Tbey
all had to go to their beds, but before
doing so the little boy, Percy, became SO
bad That he would fall over to the floor
In spasms Even the Maltese cat. a large
animal, highly priced by the family, was
Frustrated, and its prostration solves to |
= certain extent the mystery concerning
the poisoning.
AS soon as the doctor arrived he asked |
what they had eaten for supper the night
before aud they told him they had 5ad q
chicken, bought Ia the Madison streer /
market that day at noon, and also some |
chow-chow. These were the only things
on the table that could possibly have
contained the poison. Dr.. Maui was
consulted by DR.. Brown and they decided
That the poison lurked in the chow chow
ana advanced the theory that the drug
gist who had furnished the tumeric and
mustard for the home made pickle
mad made a mistake and given
arsenic instead. They immediately con.
suited the druggist, who denied the pos
sibility of such a thing and sent
quantity of the chow-chow to Philadel.
phla to be analysed. The family. how.
ever, stick to the theory that it was the
chicken that contained the poison Al tba
cat parrook of the chicken. but not of
the chow-chow, and 1t suffered the same
as the family who had partsken Of
both. The cat had analyzed
the remains of the chicken 81
closely that there was nothing left for
the druggist to work on, but the doctors
say there was enough arsenic in the
article to have proved fatal in every case
II other food had not been eaten largely
at the same time.
The members of the poisoned family
were seen by an EVENING journal, re-
porter to day at noon and show the
effects Of the struggle for life through
which they have passed in the last few
days. They can give no exclamation as
to the cause of the poisoning as thew
say they have no enemy who
would stoop to such thing
and know of no motive for such An sct
They are all still very weak from the
effects of the arsenic, and are so fearful
hat they have hardly touched food since
they have been well enough to eat.