Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-28
SENT POISONED WINE.
The Package Was Sent by Mail, and the Post masters Assistant Tasted It-The Drngged Wine Nearly Killed Her-Hints at an En- emy Who Went West.


 emy Who Went West.
 SoMERvILLE, N. J.. Jan. 2S.-Thsre is . package lI tho postoffice here which the postmaster has bcen holding for several weeks awaiting its owner to call and claim it. If William Meaney, to whom it is addressed. should put in an appear anee now, however, it would not be de- livered to him. The package contains a half pint flask purpOrting to be filled with port wine An analysis of the contents just made proves that there is mixed with tho port wine enough, Carbolic acid to poi son dozen mon.
 Whoever made this attempt to murder William Meaney knew the old man $ weakness well AlihouNh Il ere oc '-j!- panying the bottle n GU .G Wu ,.'L typewritten letter ass ' 1. ha the bottle contains he r. .,ul. ,-i: c, those who know him a 1...uld never have read it. yi. L.. u DO cedure would have bccn ta ,.;.u.:..rs aud read the directions afterward t'I'r swal- low such as Meaney would tako would have killed him.
 Coward s Clumsy Attempt
 It was clumsy and cowardly attempt in Its design to poison an old man. but there arc still moro serious aspects to the case than this, Failing to reach the one for whom it was designed. the package has laid for weeks in the postoffioe. deadi ly menace to other and better lives than his One young woman, a Miss Porter, employed in tho postoffice, who out of curiosity, tasted it, was so badly burned that she is suffering from the effects of it today. single swallow of it by one of tho employees in the postoffice would have resulted in a horrible death.
 Two doctors were hurriedly summoned. One of them. Dr. Mary Gaston. found upon examination that Miss Porter tongue and throat were terribly burned Fortunately sho had swallowed none of the liquid. She was taken to her home suffering intense pain, though not danger ously injured. Since then she has been under treatment, but has lost almost en- tirely her senso of taste. The doctors say it will be some time before she fully recov- CTS.
 Dr. Gaston took the flask to Field S drug store. where an analysis was made of its contents by H. c. Reiusswig. The analysis disclosed that the wine was strong ly adulterated with carbolic acid, suffi- cient to have killed Miss Porter within a few minutes had she swallowed as much as a teaspoonful of it Death, too, would have been preceded by the most awful suf. fering.
 Meaney Had an Enemy.
 Thus it has come about that William Meaney has emerged from obscurity and is at present a man much discussed.
 There are those in town who assert that 1t was only intended as a joke on Meaney that by n long diet or New Jersey drinks drinking of the contents of the flask would have been attended by no serious consequences.
 Meaney, old man that he is, has lived for years and lives now wandering life. No one knows where to find him today, and he may turn up in town tomorrow.
 The old man has made enemies during his wanderings. and there is one man in particular, when you inquire in Somer- vile Rs to who might have sent him the poison, whom men speak of cautiously and say the case is clear to them. but they don't dare to make open accusations They say Meaney quarreled with him so bitter. ly that the man threatened to shoot him that he Is in tho west now and could easi- ly have gone to Louisville, whence the let ter says tho box was mailed. They say further that he has made repeated attempts to injure tho old man.
 Meaney has other enemies. too. the townsfolk say. but their suspicious arc di rooted against ono man.
 The attempt to poison Meaney was dis cussed widely through tho city. The opin ions expressed show that there Is strong conviction in the minds of many persons that they arc aware who sent the poison They speak of Q man with whom Meaney had quarreled. and who had gono vest | but Hre not willing to give the name. Strangest of all perhaps Is the fact thai nn vnf faE hHy fhxa nfa | authorities to trace the box or discover it, i sender The box and the flask are still 1T the postoffice. That in its course iron whereverft was dispatched to its present resting place some life has not gone out | in suffering is not tho fault of the ont who in a bungling and cowardly way | sought to murder old William Meaney.