The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-09
A CLOSE CALL.
One Hundred and Ten Convicts
in Penitentiary Poisoned.
PARIS GREEN USED.

PARlS GREEN USED.
1t Was Put In Some Cabbage Which the
convicts Ale for Dinner. Parti.
cles of the Poison Used Have
Been Discovered In and
About The Kitchen.
The State of Thursday said there
has been a lot Of illness among the
c)nyicts at the penitentiary within
the last "a hours and it Is known that
the ITO or more who were made sick
suddenly had partaken Of green vege.
tables c. oked in a large pot. None OF
the 300 convicts was affected except
the ones who ate OF the cabbage thus
prepared, and 1t Is believed that the
poisoning was not due to any mischiev-
GUS intent. Col. D. j. Griffith, super
intendent OF the penitentiary, stated
thst t nearly all Of the sick had left the
inflfmary with the exception Of a few
who were not we'll anyway, and there
we're no casualties of serious ma
| ture.
The convicts who were made sick
ate OF cabbage cooked in q pot which
had not been used for some time, al
though the cooks declared that they
cleaned the vessel thoroughly. 1t Is
customary to put little soda into
the vegetables to facilitate the cook.
ing, and 1t is possible that the action
Of the soda or the iron OF the pot form
ed chemical change which nauseated
the prisoners who ate of the vegeta.
bles prepared therein.
The nausea appeared so soon after
the dinner meal that all of the din
ner had not been cleared away, and
some of the vegetables we're sent TO
DR.. w. B. Burney, the State chemist,
who was asked to make careful
analysis. His report had not bsen made
Wednesday night. It Is hardly pro-
bable that the conviots engaged in
gathering the vegetables and in pre-
pairing them could have been 80 mali
cious as to want to poison their fellow
prisoners, but If there was anything
Of the kind doue 1t will not be difficult
to find the ones guilty. Capt. Griffith
feels very much relieved after all is
over because none of the prisoners
failed to respond Immediately to treat
ment and all will be as well as usual
In q day or two. Is Z
ARSENIC IN THE POT.
The State of Friday says there was
arsenic In the dinner that poisoned
the convicts. DR.. W. B. Burney, the
State chemist has not made his form
al report of the analysis undertaken
at the request Of Capt D. j. Griffith,
superintendent of the penitentiary,
but he said informally THURSDAY night
that he has discovered the presence OF
arsenic IN considerable quantity In the
sample sent him for examination.
Supt. Griffith and Capt. ". w. Adams.
captain OF the guard, made an in
vestigation Wednesday snd Thursday
and they have arrived at the conclu.
sim that the poison was put into the
cabbage with malice, and the party
guilty or the crime has been spOoted.
AS 1t was stated Thur day the con.
victs we're slckeped by eating Of din
ner or cabbage cooked In large pot.
Thinking that not even convict
should be so inhumanly depraved as
to seek to poision Lis fellow convicts
n such manner, Capt Gr.ffiah was
'isposed at tirst to beii.vc IL possible
hat there might have been some
chemical change brought about by rea-
SOL OF the fact that the cabbages were
c, oked In pot not used for some time
and that soda had been used to facili
ta.e !he process Of cooking.
THE POISON FOUND.
Thursday experiments were made
With the sampiu pot and with Other
pots. 1t was found that in no case die
r the cabbage show any signs of poison
from the use Of soda in the cooking
! But in a perfectly clean pot used dali
S some of the green poison On the window
was added. TIE color impaired to the
0 cabbage WAS the same as that observed
{ IN the dinner that made the convict,
SICK. Convicts ate voluntarily with NJ
: bad effects resulting from the gresnl
a cooked with soda. or course none O
!. them would try the mess cooked Will
+ Paris green.
lf Paris green contains arsenic. There
fore it Is probable that the dinner wa
t poisoned with malice aforethought
Q There has been Paris green In the sup
q room at the penitentiary and some o
e 1t bad been used few weeks ago t.,
!. XIII bugs on the Irish potatoes. Thurs
o day Capt. Griffi5h found traces OF th
i green poison on the window sill of tn
g cooking room and In one OF the gut
ters near the kitchen was found NOR
!, In the quantity OF spoonful. Takin
@ this In connection with the fact tia
r DR.. Burney has found arsenic In th
s dinner OF last Tuesday 1t would appea
Il that one or more Of the conviots ma
be found guilty OF q diabolic attemp
e at wholesale murder.
Raiding Blind Tigers.
= At Charleston the social club,
- y chartered blind tigers, continue TO b
raided by the constables and much ex
cltement prevails among the proprie
, tors and members, especially at thl
- season Of the year, when cold beer
% % considered to be so very necessary
70 especially with the accompaniment
of com fOrtahla uuartara eleotrio 70 n,