The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-25
DEADLY FEAST,
Four People Die in West
Bergen After Eating
Crabs.
SUFFERED AWFUL AGONY
Rumors of Cholera and Typhus
Throw the District
Into a Panic.
Drs. Dickinson and Pyle Satisfied
That the Cases We're Com
mon Cholera MOrbus.


Four persons are dead from boiled hard
crabs. which were captured at the foot
of Culver avenue. West Bergen. These
facts were brought to light this morning
when notice of the deaths was reported
to the Health officials.
THE DEAD.
The dead people are:-
MRS. ANN LEWIS, fifty-fve years old.
foot of Culver avenue.
JOHN MORSE. .ninsrsen years old. .coiored.
OF Monticello avenue.
GUSTAV HAssLAcHER. nineteen years
old. OF No. 10 Culver avenue.
CAROLINE COLLINS. forty-fivs years old,
of Gator avenue, Pamrapo.
THE UNFORTUNATE SUPPER.
Last Wednesday evening three of the
peoDle. BOW dead. were asked by Mrs.
Anu Lewis to stay at her house, at the
foot of Culver avenue. on the banks of
the Morris Canal, and take supper. The
mutation was accepted aud at seven
O'Clock the four people sat down to eat
the boiled crabs.
THE FIRST SIGN OF ILLNESS.
Az hour later John Morse was seized
with pains in the stomach, which were
attended with violent vomiting. Medi-
cal assistance was summoned, but before
his sufferings could be allaysd he
died. His features were dist orted,
demonstrating the fact that he
died in indescribable agony. Morss's
sudden and fearful death caused the
other three persons 10 become horror
stricken. They rushed about the house
frsnticaliy and screamed for help.
THE SECOND PERSON ATTACKED.
At midnight Gustav Hssslacher was
taken sick. His sym otons were identical
:. with those of Morse's. DIR. Writer Dick
insou and DR.. 3. w. Pyle were sum
moned. but all efforts to save him wers
withoutav ii. Narcotics wers administer
ed but they producedno effect whatever
The man finally lapsed into unconscious
ness and died 10 this state in the same
terrible agony that characterized Morse's
death yesterday at noon.
THE THIRD VICTIM
Caroline Collins was next stricken.
This attending physicians directed that
she be removed to her home at once. The
precaution was useless, as she died in
awful agony at ten o'clock this morning.
NARY ANN LEWIS sUocUMBs.
Mary Ann Lewis Lewis who served
the crabs was the last persou stricken.
Sue died yesterday at two O'Clock, after
DR.. Pyle. Of Bergen avenue had done all
in his his power to save her.
UNDUE EXCITEMENT.
The deaths have thrown the residents
of West Bergen Into state OF the widest
excitement. They have demanded of the
police that the house be qusrautined as
as the rumor was spread broadcast chat
the deaths resulted from cholera or
typhus fever. The three persons
who visited Mrs. Lewis have friends. and
they have arranged for the proper buria
of the bodies.
Mrs. Lewis had no friends nor had she
any money. The residents of West
Bergen are already raising fund with
which to secure her proper intermsnt.
THE DOCTORS OPINION.
Doctors Dickinson and Pyle believe
that .the people met their death from
cholera morbus. Other physicians, who
have heard OF the case. say that in all
probability the crabs were poisoned by
the polluted waters of Newark Bay.
which is often times covered with foul
smelling scum.
MRS LEWIS RESORT.
Mrs. Lewis was y well known charac
ter. For years she had conducted the
boat house at the foot of Culver avenue,
aud many We're the midnighr brawls
winch occurred there. Her little shanty-
has been resort of evil characters for
years, and ths HEALTH o.nclals now ad-
vance the theory that partly cooked
crabs and too much beer caused the
death OF all four persons.
WHAT THEY ATE.
Morse, it is sald ate two crabs. Gustav
Haaslacher aud Caroline Collins ate one
each, and strange fact about the case Is
that Mrs. Lewis is supposed to have
eaten but one claw OF Que of tue crabs.