The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1900-10-03
WEEK OF HORRIBLE
AGONY.
AWFUL EXPERIENCE OFAN OLD
MAN AND HIS WARDS.
Poisoned by Foul Drinking Water,
They Suffered Six Days
Without Remedy.
FARMER LONG AT LASTS sUccUMBs.
New York World

Poisoned by drinking water, filled
with deadly fever germs, for six long
days and nights old David Long and his
two wards, Robert Long and Daisy Sey-
mour, lay helpless in lonely farm
house between Railway and Plainfeld,
suffering awful agonies from feverish
thirst. All were living but senseless
when their plight was discovered early
last Saturday morning, but Long soon
succumbed. Little Daisy Seymour is re-
covering, but young Robert Long may
die.
Whinnying Of horses, maddened and
dying from want of food and water,
brought William Terry, the nearest
neighbor, who lives half mile distant,
to the house several hours before day
light last Saturday morning. He knock
ed loudly at the door. There was no
answer. He tried the windows and
found them locked. He tried the back
door and it opened. Cropping his way
through the darkness on the floor he
found the unconscious body of Daisy
Seymour, a sixteen-year-old girl, whom
old farmer Long had taken to raise. On
the sofa in the same room lay Robert
Long, an orphan nephew of Long. In
the next room lay farmer Long, barely
breathing. -- '- -' - --'--'- '-
Believing that a murderous crime had
been committed, Terry hurried away
for help. When other neighbors began
to arrive, it was found that the occu-
pants of the house were suffering from
high fevers. Their swollen tongues
protruded from their mouths In the
stable the horses and cows were found
too weak to stand. In their suffering
they had gnawed boards from the sides
Of the stable.
Dr. Kinck, of Plainfeld, who was
hastily summoned, declared that the
farmer and his two wards were starv-
ing. He ordered that nourishment be
given them without delay, but such was
Mr.. Longs condition that he could not
be revived He remained unconscious
until Saturday afternoon, when death
resulted.
GIRL FIRST TO REVIVE.
Little Daisy Seymour was the first to
regain consciousness. 1t was then learn
ed that the girl and two men had been
poisoned last Sunday-week, six days be-
fore, and during all that time had lain
in the house suffering agonies from the
poison, without one morsel of food or
one drop of water to quench their thirst
or cool their burning fevers.
Longs daughter, Mrs. Susan jacob,
and her husband went to live in Plain
field six months ago, and his son, David,
Jr., came to New York to make his liv-
ing. Being lonesome, farmer Long had
taken his orphan nephew, Robert, and
Daisy Seymour, whom he got from an
orphan home in Brooklyn, to live with
him.
The three led secluded, quiet life.
They were on the friendliest terms with
their neighbors, but the old man cared
little for sociability. Save for OCCASION
al trips to Railway for the mail, none of
them was seen off the farm.
On the afternoon Of the poisoning
farmer Long and his wards had planned
trip to Plainfield to pay visit to Mrs.
jacob. After dinner they had dressed
and had closed and locked the house,
save the back door, which they had in
tended locking from the outside, as they
went to the stable to harness the horse.
AS they were about to leave the house,
farmer Long complained of feeling i'll.
He tainted almost Immediately and
was carried by the boy and girl into the
front room of the house. A few min
utes later Robert Long was taken ill
and lay down ON sofa in the rear room
as Daisy Seymour fell to the floor groan-
ing with violent pains in her stomach.
She and Robert tried to rise and call
for help, but they were too weak to pull
themselves to the door or window. They
lay there screaming with pain all dur
ing the day and night. They could hear
Long in the front rom raving for water.
All the next day and night they lay
burning with fever. At times they lost
consciousness. For days and nights the
two men and girl lay in the house In
tervals of consciousness were rare.
Their suffering was horrible.
AS soon as it was announced by DIR.
Kinch that there were evidences of poi
son the police of Railway and Plainfeld
were communicated with. An examina-
ton of all the food in the house failed
to reveal any trace of poison, nor was
any poison found in the cistern.
When Daisy regained consciousness
she said that ON the day they were
taken i'll. water was got from an old well
that had not been used for years before.
Examination of this well water showed
that it was filled with germs of all kinds,
especially typhoid and malarial
The girl said that Farmer Long, be-
lieving that his cistern was running dry,
had told her to get water from the old
well for use at dinner That was where
the poison had come from.
OLD FARMER sUCCUMBED.
Everything possible was done to save
the life of the old farmer, but he could
not be brought back TO consciousness,
and food and water could hardly be
forced down his parched throat so great
ly was his tongue swollen.
After the farmers death. the physi-