The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-02
Mr.. REEKIE CEASES
TO EAT HOME
COOKED FOOD
Potatoes Alleged to Have
Been Sprinkled With
Strychnine Are Submitted
to a Chemist While Hus-
band and Wife Subsist on
Bakery Provisions or Dine
Away From Home.


Thomas Reekie. who. with his wife.
unwittingly Dartook OF fried potatoes
sprinkled with strychnine. at their
supper last Friday night. has sent the
potatoes they did not eat to chem
list for analysis, and has placed the
case in the hands Of a detective.
Mr.. Reekie, who Is a carpenter cen
street. with his bride OF three months.
is at loss to know who on earth
could have poisoned his food. He
knows Of no one, he says. who desires
his death or that of his wife.
Mr.. Reckless sister in-law. Mrs.
Montey. from whom Mr.. Reekie rents
two rooms for himself and wife. de-
MES that she said Mrs Reekie had told
her that Reekie intended to kill him.
self by drinking wood alcohol. She
also denies that she minated there
was any serious trouble between Mr..
and Mrs. Reekie. who, is her sister.
Mrs. Reekie came down stairs to her
apartments Thursday and spent part
Of the day and slight there. and re-
turned to her husband Friday morn
ing.
She admitted thht. Reekie had taken
q bottle containing wood alcohol be-
longing to her up to his rooms, where
she found it the next day.
Reekis Very Indignant.
Mr.. Reel1ie vas very indignant when
seen yesterday over the intimatiOn that
he had threatened suicide
I'm not such a fool as that" he eX-
claimed. Il went to work last Friday
morning all right, and returned home
at 6:15 that night. l entered the house
by the kitchen door. and walked to the
front of the house to- see If there was
any mail for me. My brother in law.
Mr.. Montey, whom I met in the hall,
said there was not. and l went up
stairs to my own rooms to get supper
for my wife. who had not gotten home.
l fried some boiled potatoes, left over
from the night before. When Mrs.
ReekIe came in we sat down to sup
per.
Il tasted the potatoes first. and no.
ticed they were bitter. Then my wife
ate some and spoke OF their bitter
taste, saying there was something
wrong with them. 1 said yes, and we
put them aside and called up Mrs.
Montay. 80 1855,
- She came up stairs, and as soQn, as
she. looked at the dish she said She
thought they were poisoned. She took
them to a-duuggist, and while she was
gone lit my pipe and smoked. Pret-
ty soon she returned and cried out, to
US from dOWn, stairs:
Are you SiCk?' I answered NO.
1 had a strange feeling but was, not
sick.
Mrs. Montay Brings Emetic.
"Then Mrs. Montay- came into our
room with some medicine which she
told us TO take at once. after inform.
ing us that we had swallowed st1ych-
nine with our potatoes. We took the
medicine and~-seon after began to
Vomit. We each took two Doses and
were sick until nearly midnight.
w e were also told RI a I<Al m tftc M
eggs, but as 1 wouldn't use the milk
we had in the house for fear that 1t
might be poisoned, too, we asked. Mr..
Mohtay TO go out and get some. He
refused to CO. saying he had a meeting
TO attend. So Mrs. MOntay went and
got 1t. That's all I know.
Il have nothing more TO say, except
that am going 10 have those potatoes
analysed by a competent chemist De-
tectlves. have. charge OF the case, as
we propose to find who tried to Kill
u.s.
Mrs. Montay said to The Globe:
Il never. said that Mrs. Reekie had
quarreled with her husband and had
stayed away from him for two or three
days. As matter of fact she stayed
away only a part of Thursday and
Thursday night. 1t was only a little
difference between them, for they have
been married forplonly three months.
Nor did I say that Mrs. Reekie had
told me that her husband had threat
ened to kill himself by drinking wood
alcohol. All l know is l saw my bottle
Of wood alcohol in9hts rooms the next
day" .,. 80 ,.
Mrs. Montay admitted that she was
greatly excited Friday night. and
might have said things she did not
mean to say and could not remember.
Stopped Eating Home Cooked Food.
Since the poisoning incident, the
Reckless have refused to partake Of any
food prepared at their home. Saturday
evening they took supper at the home
or Sidney B. Snow, a letter carrier
who resides at 283 East Robe street
Il can't bring myself to eat food
prepared in that house" said Reekie
last evening, referring to the home of
his SiSter-in-law. Il know that MOTH
ing IS wrong with 1t, but the thought
OF our experience with the potatoes Is
enough TO drive hunger away every
5 E ! try to eat home-cooked food.
Saturday evening we dined at Mr.
Shows house. and today we have been
living on bakery provisions"
Detective Rowland, who has charge
or the case, said yesterday that there
have been no developments. The DO
lice are now engaged on a line of in
vesttgation, which they hope will throw
ing.
Reekie told the officers that he Is at
a loss to discover any motive for tho
attempted murder of himself and wife.
L have no money nor do I carry auy
Insurance." he said.
rs Mrs. Reckless life tnsured?" was
asked. With some reluctance, Reekie
replied: Yes; she carried 1000 In
the Daughters of Rebacca, which Is
payable to her sister, Mrs Montay /
would not allow her to make the policy
payable to me, as 1 do not believe in
women carrying insurance"