Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-11-23

Il.
Dr. Wilcy's first experiments i'm the
effects OF borax and boric ucid on
the system when administered in
lo"ds. were conductou about three
years ago. Young Freeman, then
not tWenty-onc years old, WAS ut that
.lihe employed in Tho Bureau of
rant Industry. and readily consented
J.. Is saiu. 10 becCnc Il member of the
poison squad" He was given Il
preliminary examination MS to his
Lhy-'!tal condition by Or. Edwin Is.
i'ehrchds, whom the boys mother
says, pronounced him to he sound
IN health. Ych Mrs, Latham declares,
before tho ai& months test was up
no waa discharged In Il short time
no showed symptoms of tubcrculo.
Sis ana was sent t. Colorado ANA
ether Western states in the hope
mat he would there get rolicf. Eight
months aga-hc came back To Wash.
ington. and gradually wasted away
until nc dieti Monday morning.
PhysIo:ano in Doubt.
During the last month of his i'll.
moss Inc was under the care of Dr.
Percy Tickling. whose services were
paid for by parish of tho Church of
the Ascension. where yaunf Freeman
was chair boy before he became
Ill. DR.. H;ckling stated last night
That death was clearly the result of
tuberculosis, but having been cot
hcctcd with the case only during
INC last stages, he said, he was not
III position To say whether IL was
the result of the food eaten during
the experiments. He is a believer
me germ theory of the spread of
tuberculosis, but admitted that the
rood containing borux might have
had the effect of reducing the resist.
Ing power Of the system, making
IL susceptible to the germ.
DE- Wiley refused last night To
discuss the death OF young Freeman
except To say the connection of the
disease with The food experiments
was absolutely absurd.
Er. Behrcnds. who made the pre-
limihary examination of Freeman.
along with a large number of otho.
candidates. said he could not rcmem-
Der any specific case in connection
with tho examinations, but he re.
mem5cred one or two of the boys
had slight fever at the time.
No Consumption i'm Family.
Mrs. Latham asserts that the his.
tory OF her family for generations
back shows That tho consumption
in the ease Of her son was moi
hereditary. His father, who died six.
teen years ago, she said was of
a family in which there existed mol
trace OF the disease. Her son, she
sad, WAS temperate In all his habits
mad never taken drink, and never
smoked. 1t Is her firm conviction
that he Is II victim of the experiments
of the Agricultural Department.
During the last days 0f his life,
young Freeman, his mother said, was
often visited by the employees ana
officials of the Agricultural Depart
imcnt, and was the recipient of many
kindnesscs from their hands Flow
ers ana delcacics had been sent
TO the room for days, and last week
Wen he complained that he WI
tired of sleeping on one mattress
his department friends Immediately
saw That mattress of fine materin;
was manufactured and sent up to-
MS mlther's rooms. He never slept
on 1t, however, for the physician said
II would be fatal to make the change.
Visited by DR.. Wiley.
Among his visitors his mother
said, were men who said they were
ohIcials and heads of divisions In
the Agricultural Department, and
among those were DR.. Wiley him.
self who appeared TO have taken IN
interest in the unfortunate boy.
tlrs. Latham said that DR.. Wiley
had called several times
Mrs. Latham said she was the
daughter of former Governor Flour
ncy, of Virginia. She has Il son in
Texas, a daughter in New York, ana
Il daughter who resides in Washing
ton.
The members of the poison squad
1t is said. when they volunteered
their services for the experiments,
signed contracts, in which they
agreed TO absolve the. government
from any blanc fer results that
might happen. 1t Is contended by
Freeman's mother that he was not
OF age when he signed the agree
mcnt and that it was made without
her knowledge or consent
The funeral will take place Thurs
day morning, ut 1890 o'clock at the
Church of the Ascension. Young
Freeman was all active worker in
the Y. NJ. c. A., and it is probable
the services will be attended by
many who knew him there.