The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-23
A DEVILISH DEED.
Whole Family Poisoned
by Arsenic
PLACED IN THE MILK CAN.
Cupful Used for Pancakes With
Painful Results.
THEY ARE ALL OUT OF DANGER.
The Detectives Endeavoring to Find
the Miscreant Who Tried to
Exterminate the Family.
THEY ARE ALL OUT OF DANGER.

A deliberate attempt to poison family
was reported to the police yesterday, and
Detective Bohen has been detailed to find
out, if possible, the guilty person or per-
sons.
Jacob Kober, his wife and seven-year-
old son occupy rooms in the rear OF the
first floor, GA Everett street, a small street
north of Howard street and running be-
tween Third and Fourth street. A friend.
Mrs. Schmid, lives with them.
The family is supplied daily with milk
by II. Bauer, dairymap. San Bruno road.
Mrs. KODer has two-quart can for hold
ing the milk, and on Friday afternoon be-
tween 2 and 3 o'clock she placed the can on
the landing outside her door. as she and
Mrs. Schmid and the boy went to make a
call Bauer calls between and o'clock
with the milk.
They returned about Ten minutes past 3,
and when Mrs. KOber carried the can in
side it struck her that Bauer had given her
an extra supply. The milk, however, had
the appearance of being cuTdled. and she
decided to make pancakes with 1t and use
some left over from the previous days
supply for tea.
a
a big supply of pancakes, her husband
being very fond of them. When he re-
turned from his work the three-father
mother aud son-sat down to supper
Mrs. Schmd bad gone out to make call
Mr.. Kober ate the larger portion of the
pancakes. and the mother and son partook
OF them sparingIy, as they did not feel
hungry.
III II Al,o-,
with pains in the stomach, and when Mrs.
Schmid returned about 10 O'Clock they
were all deathly sick, vomiting and reich
Ing. Not suspecting for moment that
they could have been poisoned she made
use of simple remedies, but without afford
ing them relief
Mr.. Kober was considerably worse than
his wife or his son, and he suffered intense
agony all night. In The morning DR.. Webb
was sent for, and he saw that there were
symptoms of poisoning and prescribed &C
cOrdingly. Mrs. Kober and her son were
soon out OF danger. but Mr.. Kober did not
show much sign Of improvement till yes
terday afternoon.
Kober works for the American Cham
payne Company, pa Stevenson street, and
as he did not turn up Yesterday morning
house to see what was the matter with
him. While chatting about the supposed
cause of the poisoning Mrs. Schmid re-
marked that there appeared TO be white
sediment at the bottom of the milkcan.
O'Neill looked at it and decided to take
the can and lis contents to police head
quarters. Mrs. Schmid accompanied him.
Under instructions of Chief Crowley the
can was sent to DR.. Johnston of the State
Mining Bureau for an analysis of the con-
tents. He sent back word that there was
enough arsenic in the can to kill dozen
people.
II will thus be seen that The Kober fam
ily had narrow escape from death by
poison. The police will leave no stone I'M
turned to find the person who would be
guilty OF such a dabOlical and fendish
act, but it will be difficult job.
Mr.. and Mrs. Kober were seen yesrer-
day afternoon. He is big. burly, good
natured German, and his wife. buxOm.
comely woman. about 30 years of age. Mr.
Kober said be had not the slightest idea of
who could have put the arsenic in the
can. Il know OF no enemies" he said,
''and cannot understand it,
Mrs. KOber said she had no enemies to
her knowledge, but in answer TO a ques-
ton about her reighbors she admitted
she did not get on well with the
family Immediately above them. There
had been MISUNDERSTANDING between them,
but not of serious nature. She could not
believe that they would conceive such a
deyiish thing as to poison the whole fam
lily, although they were bad enough.
The can was carefully rinsed out with
hot water" said Mrs Kober "before left
it on the landing and the arsenic must have
been put in it either before or after the
mlkman delivered the milk during our
absence"
AS she was speaking Milkman Bauer
made his appearance with yesterdays sup
ply. When told of the arsenic being found
in the milk he was staggered and at once
disclaimed any knowledge of it.
II have never had any complaint about
my milk, he said. 81 have my own cows
and have no use for arsenic. / noticed
something in the can before poured in
the milk on Friday afternoon, but |
thought it was some of the previous days
supply that had been left over. 1t did not
occur TO me that II could be anything
else"
According to this statement the arsenic
had been put in the can before the delIv-
cry of the milk, and 1t is supposed that a
small quantity of milk had been poured in
at the same time so as not 10 excite the
suspicion of the milkman.
Dreyer is the name of the family living
above the k0Ders. There is nothing to
turn suspicion toward them except the
statement of Mrs. Kober that there had
been QuarreliDg between the families.
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