The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-24
PRICE TWO CENTS
PASSED A CUP OF POISON.
LEHIGH LoNesHoREMkN TEST THs
CONTENTS OF A WHIskEF BARREL

Ore Mas Dead q. Forty Mtnutes-Four Es-
cape with Bur-i.g Threats s.a Nausea
The Bsrrsi was Uaei.i-sa Freight,
Esd Hsd stood o. the Pier fer Morth-.
Some LIQUID In a whiskey barrel at Pier 2,
North River. was responsible yesterday after
noon for one mans death in forty min
utes and the acute suffering OF four other
men. one Of whom also nearly died The
pier lie used by tho Lehigh Railroad Com
pany for handling freight. and oftentimes
II happens that some article OF freight comes
In without bill OF lading and without marks
About i've months ago. as nearly az IL re-
membered. the whiskey barrel came to
the pier in this condition. It was full.
The superintendent OF the Dier. Mr.. L. s Whit
man. gave orders to have It set aside. thinking
that It's owner might turn up. Yesterday he
ordered It shipped. with some other stray
goods. to the company's storehouse at Bethle-
hem, but being curious as to what 1t might con-
tain directed that It be tapped and cupful be
drawn of.
At half past o'clock James o'Neill. long
shoreman. who lived at 440 Union street.
Brooklyn. and four other men pulled the BAR
freight. and drew from IL a cupful OF liquid
that looked like apple cider. Instead OF taxi
they should have I'VE done, they Exchanged p com.
plismssntss and drank. The first man tasted IL
ana nhn0eu IL To the next QUICKLY acting AZ
II he did not like It very much. The cup went
last two men. They each took a long pull.
O'Nei! was the last man, and he drained the
cup and smack ed his lips. but he never said .
word. for Dallor spread over his face at once.
and walking to a pile OF shayings near by he
fell forward on his face and lay there uncon-
scious: 1he other men were by this time Civ
ing utterance to a variety OF EXPLANATIONS
and CRYING that their mouths were hot. Two
Of them danced around tho pier like maom en-,
while the third ran for the nearest saloon, and
the fourth, who had takon q long drink with
O'Neill, staggered to n salt barrel and grab
bling handful OF salt ewallo wed it. He began
to vomit at once and after suffering greatly
For pNeill an ambulance was summoned
from Chambers Street Hospital. Efforts were
made to resus tate the unconscious man be-
fore the ambulance arrived, but they were
futile. and when the ambulance surgeon
looked at him he gave orders to drive with all
deep coma when he got to the hospital and.
although they washed his stomach out there
AMI applied restoratives. he died In q few mo-
The hospital authorities would not say
whether or not they had anv CUES. as to the
nature Of the poison, AZ Pier It was said
that bottle full OF the liquid had been sent to
bles cider In appearance. 1t is almost odor-
less and It may have been colored by the bar
rel One suggestion made was that 1t might
BIO some dlsinfectant. corrosive. sublimate.
perhaps. O'Neill was 40 years OF age and mar
ried. He leaves a large family Of Young chill
the pier as a sober indu striousinan. The other
men who drank OF the LIQUID soon cane
around. hut they complained OF q queer taste
in their mouths the rest Of the afternoon.