Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-29
DEATH FROM POISON
Formed by DecOmposing Sturgeon in
the Victims Stomachs.
FACTS BROUGHT OUT BY CHEMISTS.
First Double Inquest Ever Held in Ale
gheny County.
G.~H. GIEDHILL PRESENTS HIS CASE

The first double inquest ever held in Allie
gheny county was conducted by Coroner
Mcdowell yesterday in the sturgeon
cases. Juries had been previously i'm
paneled in the cases of Thomas Rourke, of
Center county, and Henry Broge, of Etna.
As both inQuests were dependent upon
the same testimony they were heard
together and II men instead of occupied
the Jury box. No verdict has been reached
and the inquests were adjourned until Mon-
day. So far the evidence goes to show that
death resulted from eating decomposing
sturgeon, which created an irritant poison,
but whether the responsibility can be fixed
IS as yet undecided
James 7. Rourke, son Of the late Thomas
Rourlze, testified that he and his father had
eaten smoked sturgeon bought from Mr.
Gledhill on May is, and that night both had
been very sick. He recovered, but his father
died. DR.. Tracy, the family physician, de-
clared it was poisoning and that the patients
had vomited and purged all night.
The Result Of the Autopsy.
DR.. j. Guy MeCandIess said he and Dr.
Tracy had held an autopsy. The stomach
and kidneys were found inflamed- The
mans death was due to exhaustion caused
by some sort of poisoning. The witness
knew Thomas Rourke TO be a healthy man.
r. 7. Knox, a reporter, testifed to taking
three samples of sturgeon to Hunt & Clapp
for analysis and Captain A E. Hunt testified
to having received them and turned them
over to James o. Handy, their head chemist,
James o. Handy testified that he made an
ANALYSIS of the stomachs of Thomas Roufke
and Henry Broye. Part of the stomach of
Mr. Rourke was much infamed but there
was no evidence Of arsenic or other metallic
poisons. The inner membrane was
not in healthy condition. The ex-
terror and interior of the stomach of
Henry Broge, were very much infiamed. The
stomach contained a dark greenish mass;
also a large quantity of bismuth. The wit
ness nude an analysis of the same fish, and
in two of the pieces found great deal OF de-
composition. The witness thought that If
the ifsh had been properly cured it would
not have decomposed.
Coroner Mcdowell then produced some of
the smoked sturgeon, but when the package
was open it was found alive with mag
DIR. McCandless was recalled and testified
that after vomiting and purging there would
be no poisons remaining in the stomach, so
that the report of the chemist was what he
thought it would be.
What an Analysis Has Proved.
DIR. johnson testified to having held the
autopsy on Henry Broge, and the chemical
analysis was as he expected. He had given
the deceased bismuth to allay vomiting and
purging-
Broge was at his store on May l6 He had
sturgeon for sale, and purchased it from Mr..
Gledhills wagon on the 18th. He purchased
90 pounds of it at 10 cents per pound. The
witness few days previous had purchased
five pounds from J. L. Wyland, paying Is
cents per pound but this was used in his
own family. Some l3 or II people, to whom
he sold the sturgeon bought from Mr.. Gled-
hill, became sick; among them was his own
son.
fed to selling Mrs. Broge half pound of
STR hOmnhf
wagon.
Homer Terk, a driver for Mr.. Gledhill, tes-
to selling Mr.. Bleil 20 pounds of sturgeon on
Friday, the 18th.
John SNYDER was employed by Mr. Gledhill
in smoking fish. Two weeks ago he smoked
four barrels of sturgeon. The fish were in
good condition when they were cured
used in the smoking. The witness
could not tell how long sturgeon would keep
If it was properly smoked.
James Lavned is Mr.. Snyder's assistant.
The four barrels of fish smoked two weeks
ago were in f1rst-class condition and had no
John /. Gribbin testified to furnishing
Prof George Hay with three samples of
sturgeon for analysis These samples were
purchased in Sharpsburg and Etna stores.
Prof. George Hay was called and testified
that the fish were in a state of decomposi-
tion.
How Long Sturgeon Can Be Kept.
Frederick Smith, of New York, is in the
fish business and handles sturgeon, both
fresh and salt water. The length of keep
ing of smoked sturgeon depends entirely on
the weather and will average from to II
days. Sturgeon is often frozen, and in this
way will keep for two wears. The witness
has been in the fish business nearly
all his life and never knew of any
disease among sturgeon and never knew or
heard of any sturgeon poisoning before.
Meat and Milk Inspector McCutcheon said
he visited Mr.. Gledhilrs smokehouse and all
the sturgeon there were in good condition.
@. H. Gledhill was next examined. He
testified that on May Il he had received four
barrels OF sturgeon from Bayside, \. j.
These four barrels were sent direct to the
smokehOuse. The witness did not examine
them and could not say what condition they
were in. He had, however, received a tele-
gram from the shippers stating that they
were in good condition. This sturgeon cost
him 312 cents per pound and when express
age was paid and the labor of smoking it
would cost a bout cents per pound and he
could readily afford to sell it at 10 cents. The
witness understood that some ten years ago
1ust such trouble had occurred in this city
over sturgeon poisoning.
Mr. Gledhill added that the sturgeon
might have been diseased when caught Mr..
Smith was recalled and stated that the fish
which caused the trouble may have been
drowned sturgeon.