The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-17
POISONED By CHEESE.
Railroad LaborerS Think Their
Dying Day Has Come.
DOUBLED UP WITH CRAMPS.
One by One the sickness Seizes Them
Until Thirteen Are in Agony
The Doctor 10 the Rescue.

Thirteen Iaborers. all suffering from
cramps. purglng and vomiting and some
of them convinced that they had only
few minutes longer for this world, were
the patients of Or. F. III. Coe at Lake
siding early yesterday morning. 1hey
were part Of force in charge OF II. Mid
daugh. roadmaster of the Seattle, Lake
Shore & Eastern. and their malady had
been caused by poisonous cheese eaten at
mealtime about o'clock Sunday after
noon.
The first man 10 be taken sick was Andy
Strumberg. who suddenly became glddy
and was stricken with nausea, vomiting
and purging. followed by subsultus- or q
jerking Of the tendons. He was being look
ed after by his anxious companions, when
another one was taken down. then an
other and another until half the crew had
become terribly sick. 4 local physician
was sent for and a message dispatched 10
Dr. Coe company physician.
The physician left this city by speciai
train at 1910 at night. and at 12:4o arrived
at the scene of wholesale sickness. lie at
tended 10 his numerous patients. remain
ing with them all night, and by morning
had them all on the road 70 recovery Out
of the thirteen all were well enough 10
come to town yesterday but one, +. Erick-
son, who remained at the siding. me
men looked considerably worn down from
their experience. and one of them deciaF-
ed that he never expected TO come cut or
the cramps alive. "Of course. Ia oeen
sick the other way before he said, "oht
to have myself tied up in knots was too
much. and l thought I'd die sure.
In addition 10 the symptoms given above
Dr. Coe found in all cases papillary reac-
ton normal. no headache and pulse aver
aging a lower rate than normal.
After treating the men he went through
the stock of provisions. and found that
for dinner there had been on the table
jelly cold boiled beef. baked and mashed
potatoes raw tomatoes (canned(, eVap-
ora ted apples and pears. bread and butter
and cheese that had been cut that day
Everything seemed to be wholesome and
in good condition except the cheese, Whlcn
in places was dimly streaked with white
A piece of it kept over day gave out bit
of sweat" and there is little question
that the cheese caused the trouble. Some
of the men were inclined to think that
the canned tomatoes had been responsible
for the mischief but the doctor does not
agree with them. Poison in canned tOma-
toes, he says, will distribute itself and
most probably affect everybody eating OF
it, With cheese the effect is different, for
the ptomains are scattered, and one per-
son may eat heartily and be uninjured,
while another may become deathly sick.
This was SO with the men at the siding.
for some of them who had eaten great
pieces Of the cheese were not affected at
all.
The men poisoned We're: Andy Strum-
berg. oily Martenson, J. ". Wigstrom,
Charles Dixon, c. Hart, Jack Martin,
George Golden. +. Erickson, Charley Eek.
Billy Johnson, Christ Pfeil, George ii.
Brown. William Cooper.
DIR. Coe viii analyZe the cheese and in a
few DAYS viii be able TO tell exactly what
the trouble was.