Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-30
LlGHTNING'S DOINGS.
Full Account of the Horrible Death of James Hackney by the Curent-Whoesale
 Attempt at Poisoning,

Gadsden, June 29.-(Special Corre- spondence.)-Th following account of the sudden and terrible death of James Hackney, farmer of Calhoun county, who lived near Lincoln wac brought to the city today by w. J. McDill:
 On last Tuesday afternoon at 8 o'clock Nil. Hackney was sltting in a door of his residence watching an approaching storm. when. without a moments warn. ing, he was hurled into eternity by stroke of lightning.
 In his yelrd is a dinner bell stationed on a post The bell is connected with an eve of the house by a wire. to the end Of which was attached smlli piece of rope. During a fierce electrical storm the light ming struck the bell and was conducted to the house by means of the wire MT. Hackney was sitting in the door near tho end of the rope. He was struck on the right side of the head, the lightning run ming down his body to his feet on the right side. The floor near where he was sitting was scorched as if it had been burned.
 MT. Hackney was instantly killed. his right side being horribly mansled ard burned. His right foot was torn into shreds and he whole body presented a sickening sight. When the family req ched him he was dead
 Mrs. Hackney. who was sitting near a door of another room of the house. also received a severe shock and has not yet recovered completely.
 James Hackney was gallant Confcd- crate soldier in the late war and Was well known as one of the leading Farmers of Calhoun county. He was 50 years old and was highly respected by all who knew him.
 The same day on which Mr. Hackney was killed lightning struck and killed a mule belonging to John Stewart of Talla- dega county who lived near tie Hack ney's. The roof of his barn was also torn off. Four miles from Sulphur Springs. in the same community. Charles Long had two hogs in pen and one of ther~ was killed by lightning. Consider able damage was done in this community by lightning.
 Thursday q week ago a heavy storm completely ruined the crops in the bot tom lands in hs nuigh5orlIood. Plank fences were washed away and the corn was washed up by the ronts.
 Tha following account of an attempt at wholesale poisoning has just been made public hy the police
 On last Saturday wee; ago Charlotte Thompson and 9-year-oi daughter. Mary Kyle and John Williams were pol soned, and narrowly escaped death at the hands of some one who evidently holds q gruGge against ihem A week before they discovered something of a poisonous nature which had been put into the drinking water in bucket and in box of snuff. The Gecd was discov- cred, however, before any Of the water or snuff was used, and q possible crime was aver.ed.
 On Saturday. however. the person who intended murder came Tery near succeed ing in his intention. Rough on ratsN was put in the flour used by the family. and Mary Kyle. a neighbor who had stopped and took supper with them. helped to eat the deadly stuff.
 In the evening after supper, as ne- grocs are wont to do. the older ones started to town for the usual Saturday nights trade. etc. leaving the little ones behind at home. Before they reached towH-however, all of them became se- riously sick and returned home imme- diately. Upon their return home they found the 9-year-old girl in a serious con dition as result of the poison
 Dr. John B. Liddell was summoned and he immediately said that the fam fly had been poisoned. and that the drug used was Rough on Rats He had some difficulty in saving the life of the child, but she was finally brought around all right.
 The police are making close inves- tigation of the affair. but as yet have made no discovery that night lead to the guilty one.
 Centre has a chair factory in full oper- alton that IS turning out good WorlS ard works some dozen men.
 The Chattanooga Southern railroad ex- poets to put on a civil engineer and corps of assistants at an early date to make extensions of the road from Round Mountain to Jacksonville, via Centre.
 Cherokee county will vote on Monday August D. on the question of "bonds'' or mo bonds." for the purpose of building a free bridge across Coosa river. near Centre.