The times., 1898-09-06
MORE POISONING BY MAIL.
DruSged Whisky Sent to an lee
Dealers Family.

New York, Sept. 5-John Hills, we'll
to-dO ice dealer, OF No. 81 Second Street,
his wife and his sister-in-law, Miss Ma
ry Conlin. We're poisoned last night by
whisky which had been sent through the
mail to the house. Miss Conlin probably
will die from the effects of the drug
which was used. The case in many re-
spects is similar TO the poisoning of Mrs.
Dunning and Mrs. Deane by means of
box of candy sent to them through the
mails two weeks ago.
John Hills has large ice plant at
Twelfth Street and the East River, and
has an Office in his house in Second
Street. He has a large number of wag-
ons and does an extensive business.
Mrs. Hills received by mail last Tues
day d small package which contained
bottle about four inches high bearing
q whisky label. The package was ad-
dressed to her husband, and after taking
the wrapper off and throwing it into the
fire she placed the bottle on shelf and
thought no more about it. She received
a second and similar package on Wednes-
day, and In that found another small
bottle labeled a different brand of whis-
Ky. She treated the second package as
she had the first, tearing off the wrap
per. which she destroyed, and placing
the bottle DeSlQe the Otner IN the cIOScl
She received a third package on Friday
morning 1t was larger than the others
and had a bottle which had evidently con-
tanned toilet water A plain white label
had been pasted around the bottle, and
on that had been drawn in lead pencil
a scroll work OF artistic design. In the
center of the scroll work was the single
name of a Hungarian drink little used by
Americans and almost unknown here.
This bottle was about six inches in height
and had a long slender neck. Mrs. Hills
placed it beside the others in the closet.
Mr. Hills, with his wife and sister-in-
law, were at home last evening, when
Mrs. Hills thought of her liquors and told
her husband of them He looked at the
bottles and called attention TO the fact
that the first one received was apparently
very old. as the label was dirty and dis
coIored. He said:
We'll. / guess it's warm enough to try
the whisky" and opened the bottle the
contents of which looked as if it had i'm
proved with age. There was just enough
liquor in the bottle to give each one an
average-sized drink. 1t was pronounced
good whisky when the three had each
tasted it.
The three persons became afflicted with
a strange illness within half an hour of
drinking the whisky. and their symptoms
became so alarming that Mr. Hills
whose powerful frame withstood the at
tack better than the women, put on his
hat and ran TO DR.. T. T. Leyendecker, of
No. 13S Second Street, and told him to go
with him at once to the house. When
they arrived there they found Mrs. Hills
and her sister in commissions from the
pain which had followed the drinking of
+1, xz-l,sz szIrr Thafr
deep blue linese showed about their eyes.
Dr. Leyendecker expressed the opinion
that they were suffering from power
full poison, either attropine or belladonna.
He advised Mr.. Hills, who was rapidly
showing the effects of the poison, to go
to bed. He did so, and within few min
utes exhibited all the symptoms shown
by his wife and sister-in-law DIR. Leyen-
decker summoned assistance, and also no.
titled the police. and after awhile Mr..
Hills and his wife were pronounced out
of danger.
Miss Conlin, the doctor said, would
probably die.
When the police arrived at the house
they questioned Mrs. Hills about the
package she had received. but was unable
to enlighten them to any great extent
She said she had not noticed the wrap
pers closely, believing the whisky had
been sent as sample and that as soon
as she had torn the wrappers off she
had thrown them into the fire and they
were destroyed.
The police are all at sea as to where the
whisky could have come from. The de-
strucsion of the wrappers, which might
have led to the discovery of the district
in which they were mailed. for Mrs. Hills
saye she remembers that they were mail
ed in New York city, has left the detec-
tives without clew
Mr.. Hills when questioned said he did
not know that he had an enemy in the
world. He declared he had not had any
trouble with his employees; that his re-
lations with his drivers were of the
friendliest. and that none of them would
have any reason to try to seek revenge
for even fancied wrong. He said he
had no enemies in a social sense so far
as ne knew, and could offer no explana-
ton for the mysterious sending of the
bottles.
The fact that the three bottles arrived
in different days led the police to believe
that the purpose was to kill three mem
bers of the family, and that it was onlv
by accident that the plot had failed.
DR.. Leyendecker believes that not
enough of the poison was used by the
person who sent it TO accomplish his
purpose.
Mr.. Hills is .hirty years old, his wife
is twenty-five and Miss Conlin is nine
teen years. He is we'll known and re-
spected on the East Side, where he has
lived for many years and has built up a
profitable business.