The herald., 1895-03-07
DIED IN TERRIBLE AGONY.
Two Little Boys Poisoned by
Eating Sponge Cake
A MOST MYSTERIOUS CASE
John Henderson Only Lived a few
Moments
His Companion VIII Probably survive-f1rs.
O'tisre Gave the Children the Cake.
The Police at Work

John Henderson and Edward Strange,
two eight-year-old boys, living in the
neighborhood of Downey avenue and
Hawkins street, were poisoned with
strychnine yesterday afternoon by eating
some cake given them by Mrs. O'Hare
who resides ON the corner of Hawkins and
Hanson streets. Young Henderson died
in terrible agony from commissions short
ly after taking the poison, but the Strange
boy, while greatly suffering is still alive
and will probably be saved
The poisoning is mystery alike to the
police and the people of the neighborhood
where it occurred. The police went to work
on the case as soon as it was reported,
but up to late hour had found nothing
that would warrant them in making an
arrest. On the other hand, the people of
the neighborhood where the poisoning
occurred are loud in their denunciations
of Mrs. O'Hare. Mrs. O'Hare, while adj
uniting giving cake to the children, siren
uously denies that she knew it was poi
soned, and also denies that she had any
enmity toward the boys to whom she gave
the food. After a careful investigation,
the story OF the poisoning was found to
be AS follows:
Mrs. Elizabeth O'Hare, living. as stated,
OH Hawkins and Hanson streets has been
greatly worried by the boys of the neigh
borhood and she frequently made threats
against them, it is claimed. She went to
Oakland more than year ago, however,
and returned home on February 2nd last.
Since her return so far as is known she
has had no trouble with her neighbors'
children.
About five o'clock yesterday afternoon
John Henderson, Eddie Strange and little
Stella Strange went to Mrs. o Hare house
to borrow sickle for the purpose of cut
ting. some grass on vacant lot near by.
While at the house Mrs O'Hare gave the
children some lady fingers" sponge
cake cut into narrow strips and sugtred.
The cakes were in paper bag and little
Stella was made the custodian of them.
Stella took a bite of one of the cakes
before she left Mrs. 'Hare's kitchen and
found it bitter. She ate no more of it,
but gave the paper bag to the boys, who
ate nearly all the cakes it contained. Just
before going to Mrs. O'Hares the Strange
children, Stella and Eddie had eaten two
or three apples apiece, but young Hender-
sons stomach was empty. Shortly after
eating the cake the Henderson boy COM
planned of being sick. The boys were cut
ting grass at the time and little Stella
Strange was watching them. Suddenly
Johnnie Henderson had CONFUSION, and
Stella ran for the boys mother.
The mother quickly responded, going to
the field where the bows were, and when
she reached the field she found her own
boy almost dead and the Strange boy
vomiting. Taking her son in her arms
the mother said:
Johnnie, what's the matter?'
The poor little fellow could hardly an
swer her, the terrible commissions coming
one after the other SO fast as to render
him almost speechless, but as he writhed
in agony in his mothers arms he man
aged to gasp out:
1t was the cake, mamma, the cake
Mrs. O,Hare gave us. Oh, mamma, I'm
dying!'
AT the moment W. II. Perry, driving in
buggy, passed and stopped. He at once
realized that both the boys were danger
ously i'll; and, carrying them tohis buggy,
drove on run to rthe Office of DR.. Shoe
maker. AT the Office DIR. Carson was
hastily summoned, and both physicians
went to work on the boys.
From the start the doctors despaired of
saving Henderson, but on account OF the
apples he had eaten, and his frequent
nausea. thought the Strange boy had a
chance for life. Their diagnosis was
strychnne poisoning, and they said both
boys but especially Henderson, must
have. taken a terrible dose of the
deadly drug. Almost as they laid him on
the operating chair in the office poor lit
tie Johnnie Henderson breathed his last.
Then the physicians turned their atten-
ton to Eddie Strange and by constant ef-
fort helped him to throw off the poison
until at midnight the boy was considered
out of danger and was removed to his
home.
Mrs. Hare, the woman who gave the
the cake. bears the reputation in
the neighborhood where she lives OF be-
ing quarresome. With her own children
she continually quarreled until they left
her and went out into the world to earn
their living, although Mrs. O'Hare is
reputed to be worth goodly sum OF
money. When seen last night Mrs.
O'Hare said:
II gave the children the cake but God
knows | didn't know it was poisoned. !
One day about week ago | came home
from down town and found paper bag
on my porch. | looked into 1t and saw
there were stjn8ei cakes in it. | thought
at first some OF the children about here
had been sent to the bakery for cake and
on their way home had stopped
to play and set the bag on my porch
and gone off and forgot it. Then thought
might have left the cake for me,
though the Lord knows who around here
would do that. Anyhow took the cake