The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-03-23
DEATH BY POISON.
Earl Newell q Sixteen Year Old
Boy Dies From strychnine
Poisoning on Sunday
CURIOSITY COSTS A LIFE.
Boy Was Examining Poison Bottle and
Took the Fatal Dose by Mistake
Verdict of Accidental Death is
Rendered by the Physician.

Earl Newell, the sixteen year old
son of Mrs. Russell Newell, who re-
sides in the town of Pleasant Prairie,
about eight miles southwest of Keno
sha, died from strychnine poisoning
at II o'clock Sunday night. There is
not the slightest indication of Any
suicidal intent and no suspicion of
any foul play and the boys friends
and the attending physician are con-
WINGED that his death was purely ac-
cidenta1.
The boy himself told the story of
the fatal curiosity which cost him his
life to the attending physician before
he died. It seems that some time ago
the elder brother of young Newell
purchased considerable quantity Of
strychnine for the purpose of killing
crows for the bounty offered by the
county. The bottle containing the
deadly drug was shown to all the
members of the family and they we're
all told what it contained and warned
to let it alone. According to the
story told the doctor by young Newell
he was wandering aim1ess1y about the
house early Sunday afternoon when
he came across the bottle containing
the strychnine. He picked it up and
poured some of the powder from the
bottle into his hand. Ignorant of the
deadly nature of strychnine he tasted
the powder, but it was bitter that he
tried to spit it out Immediately.
Shortly after this without washing
his hands Newell went to the pantry
and helped himself to lunch taking
the food up in the same hand into
which he had poured the poison but a
short time before. It is believed that
he got the fatal dose in this manner.
He felt no Ill effects from the poison
for some time and even went over to a
neighbor's house on a little visit. He
began to feel i'll and returning home
threw himself on the bed and was
seized with severe cramp. Neither
he nor any member of the family had
any idea of the serious nature of his
illness at that time. He grew steadi-
1y worse, however, and DR.. Eastman,
of this city, was summoned to attend
him. Owing to the condition of the
roads the doctor was unable to reach
the Newell home for two hours and it
was then too late to save the boys
life. A little close questioning by
the doctor revealed the cause of the
trouble and the physician Immediate
~ cleaned out the boys stomach and
administered all the known antidotes
for strychrine poisoning, but without
avail. The poison had passed from
the stomach into his system, and after
suffering terrible agony from the con-
vulsions which follow strychnine
poisoning, the boy passed away about
IL O'Clock.
The case was reported to the coro-
ner, but on account of the fact that
DR.. Eastman was with the boy when
he died andlthat all the symptoms
we're SO clearly established, and all
the circumstances surrounding the
| sad accident so we'll known he did not
think it necessary to hold any inquest.
| Young Newell was a lad of consider
able promise and had bright future
before him, and his sad death has cast
| a gloom over thesentire neighborhood
of his home