The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-01-14
POISON IN WELL
ONLY IGNORANCE PREVENTED
WHOLESALE MURDER.
SEARCHING FOR THE GUILTY PERSON
Suspicion Points 10 a Negro Who Re
Gently plsappeared-Thrse Cans Of
Concentrated Lye and q Sack
Filled With a White Substance
Taken From the Well.

KANSAS CITY. MO. Especially
The truth has been brought TO light
IN the matter OF the well at 1907 Lydia
avenue, and II has been c~oncluslvely
proved that the water had been pols-
oned. The charge asked by the city
chemist for an analysis Of the water
was said to be so high, that the agents
for the property where the well Is
situated, decided that 1t would be
cheaper to have It cleaned u This
work was done Friday, and three cans
Of concentrated I've and a sack OF some
other substance were found in the bot.
tom Of the well. The sans Of I've had
been partially opened In order to al.
low the contents to mix with the
water, and but a small portion Of the
poison remained undisturbed in the
cans. The sack was one OF the or.
binary kind used for salt, and had
been filled with some substance and
then tied with a heavy cord. Just
what the contents were Is not yet
known. but II is suspected contained
some kind Of poison.
The only thing that saved the lives
Of the forty or fifty people who were
In the habit OF using the water from
this well, was the ignorance OF the
person who deposited the poison In the
well. The presence OF the I've In the
water gave It a murky appearance.
and had such a strong burning effect
or the mouth Of the person who first
tasted the water after Il had become
tainted that the poison was noticed
before q fatal quantity had been taken.
The first person affected by the water
was a little girl who lives IN the flats
at 1907 Lydia avenue. Her mother
brought In a pail OF the water. aud the
girl filled a glass from the bucket
and commenced drinking. Before
she had taken more than q few drops
the action OF the lye upon her mouth
warned her that something was the
matter. Her mouth was badly burned
and she was violently sick for some
time. The well was Their closed for
Investigation.
II the man who put the lye in tho
well had known that It's presence
would have been discovered when the
water was first tasted he would un.
d%ouhtedly have used another poison
and would have accomplished his pur-
pose OF numbering an entire com.
munIty.
The flats az 1907 Lydia avenue arc
occupied by a number Of negro fam.
flies. Il Is alleged that a negro who
lived there until quite recently was
such a disturbing element In the neigh
borhood that complaints were made
against him and he was finally elected
from the premises. Il Is said that be-.
fore no left he destroyed property
belonging TO his ~nelghbors. and an.
noSed them in every possible way and
II is the opinion OF the people there
that this nan put the poison in the
we'll He has disappeared and his
present location Ia unknown.
Stills a Northrop, the agents. are de-
termlned upon having the criminal
brought 10 justice, aud viii not delay
in placing the matter in the hands OF
the police. The people occupying the
flats, and whose lives were attempted,
are living in daily fear and danger.
and viii not rest until the prisoner Is
placed IN confinement.