Evening star., 1898-11-22
WAS IT LEMON DROPS?
Mr.. George W. spier and Family Suffered
From Poison Symptoms.
The Attending Physician Disinclined
to Think That the Candy Caused
Their Suferings.

Mr.. George W. Spier. a jeweler, and his
wife and two children, a little boy and girl
are recovering from a very severe exper-
ience which they underwent Sunday night
at their residence, 22i1 18th street north
west. Mr.. Spier and his family ate their
dinner at 2:30 O'Clock Sunday afternoon at
nome, and afterward went for drive
Wnlch occupied the rest of the afternoon.
All were feeling particularly well when
they returned by way of 14th street and
meeting a friend on the latter thoroushfare
Mr. Spier stopped his horse to speak a few
words with him. Mr.. Spier's little boy was
attracted by the display in the window of
confectionery store on 14th street. and
expressing desire for some candy his
father gave him FIVE cents with which he
proceeded TO the store and expended the
money IN lemon drops.
Returning to the vehicle. the drive was
continued homeward, and both Mr. and
Mrs. Spier and the children ate the drops.
about forty in number.
Cramps and Nausea.
Shortly before reaching home the little
boy complained of feeling unwell, and soon
aIter getting in the house he was seized
with cramps. accompanied by violent nau-
sea W hlie endeavoring to relieve him Mrs
Spier was taken with similar attacks, and
almost Immediately Mr.. Spier and his lit
Tie daughter we're suffering in the same
way. servant ran out for a physician,
finally going to the Children's Hospital a
short distance away
Inc emergency character of the case inn
peiIed DIR. Fischer of the hospital to an
swer the call. and he went to the Sniar
residence, where he found the family evil
IDENTIFY suffering from some sort Of poison.
AFTER assiduous work the sufferers We e
renewed IN a degree from their pains, and
Mr. Spier was interrogated as to what
they had partaken of. 1t was learned that
the family had eaten rabbit for dinner in
the afternoon, together with kale and other
vegetables. Other members of the family
Who had eaten dinner were not affected
and 1t was stated that the little boy who
had been first taken Ill had not partaken
of the kale. Mr.. Spier accordingly at
trlbuted the illness to the lemon drops
Some of these were secured at the store
where the first were purchased. and DR.
Fischer ate some of them, but suffered no
i'll effects therefrom.
Divergent Opinions.
a Star reporter visited Mr. Spier this af-
ternoon at his residence on 18th street, and
he plainly showed the evidence Of the or
deal he had passed through. He did not
think the confectioner was tc blame for the
lemon drops, but was convinced they We're
the cause of his and his family's sufferings
Mrs. Spier was also recovering, and the
children we've all right
DR.. Fischer was also seen, and was rather
desirous that mis- name should not be used,
owing to the fact that while he was a L.
centiate physician, he was not permitted
to practice outside Of the hospital, only an
swering the Spiers call on account of the
critical condition of the family
He was disincined to adopt the theory
that the lemon drops had caused the sick
ness, and said perhaps the rabbit eaten for
dinner might not have been entirely fresh,
and this might have been the reason. The
lemon drops which are strongly under
suspicion by the sufferers themselves are
the sort, so the confectioner selling them
stated, according to Mr.. Spier. that are
manufactured and sold in bulk to confec-
TONERS and others. An authority on candy
manufacture stated today that there was
no lemon in this variety of lemon drops,
the sweetening being glucose. used instead
of sugar to prevent crystallization, while
citric acid gives the flavor and an aniline
dye produced from coal tar provided the
green color. He further stated that there
was nothing harmful in the combination.