Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-11
WALES FEARS DEATH
BY POISON IN INDIA
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN TO
PROTECT TOURING PARTY
"Poison Girls" Cause Royalty Much
Worry, as Warnings Of Dire Hap-
penings Have Been Sent
Them-Inda Dissatisfied
Special Gable to The Herald.

Special Cable to The Herald.
LONDON, Feb. 1O.--A private Call
cutta letter to a member of the aris-
toCracy tells of elaborate precautions
taken by the government to guard the
prince and princess of Wales against
poison girls and poison men" These
dangerous creatures, which Nathaniel
Hawthorne immortalized i'm his Rap
paCnfs Daughter" are supposed to be
able to kill a person by breath or touch
and the Indian government has no
moro succeeded in extermina ting them
than infant marriages and other Indian
peculiarities.
Indian medicine men and priests
knew long before Prof. Koch and other
European alienists that the persistent
consumption of poisons makes the body
immune against poisoning. Accord
ingly potentates, priests and others who
had occasion to wish for the death of
certain persons every little while, kept
on hand a number of poison-fed indi-
viduals to send to the persons that they
wished to do away with Both boys
and girls, principally girls, We're trained
for this murderous office.
The Indian princes caused beautiful,
and healthy girls to be put under the
care of physicians and medicine men
soon after they were born. The medi-
baby's cradle with dried helmet-fiower.
or monks hood. that is such from
which the deadly poison, aconite, had
been part extracted. After few
months unprepared monks hood was
placed under the cradle and in vases in
the baby's chamber. Later the fresh
flower was installed and baby was all
lowed to play with 1t and suck it.
Still later a mild solution of aconite
obi a1 IN hob 1,,iII ntt, $50
food after a graduating scale. AS the
little bodies became more and more
used to the poison the doses were in.
creased, and usually when a girl was
10 or IL she could eat aconite in the
same quantities as some arsenic eaters
devour that poison.
1t is a fact, though, that few human,
natures can stand the aconite treat
ment. We are told of an Indian prince
who succeeded in raising only one
"poison-girl'' out of more than hun
bred. But this "poson-girl' was so
venemous that nobody and nothing
could live in the house she inhabited,
both human beings and animals dying
from breathing the same air as she.
This particular "poison-girl." whom
nature had endowed with all of the
graces liable to capture mans heart,
was used by the Indian prince at vari-
single kiss, to rob his enemy's army of
its leader. to kill inconvenient relatives
and officials. 1t will be remembered
that, according to tradition, Alexander
the Great came near falling victim to
"poison-girl," who approached him in
the guise of a harpist and singer. A
priest in Alexanders tent recognized
the fatal odor and begged Alexander on
his knees to refrain from touching her
c,1cnipiOna could taStpd
The king sent for two young slaves and
commanded them to kiss the pretty girl.
Both died instantly of the touch of her
lips. Alexander ordered the girl to be
beheaded and the body to be burned
ten miles from his tent. The story goes
that the executioner and his assistants
died soon after performing their bloody
work. q
AS there is much dissatisfaction in
India owing to the famine and to the
jealousy of the native princes, the Cow
eminent fears that some attempt might
be made by "poison-girr' on Wales
or the princess. The country, it is said,
Is full of fanatics liable to resurrect the
ancient weapon, and the native princes
are practically uncontrolled in their
dominions. Who knows, says the gov
eminent, whether more than one is not
keeping "poison-girls' or ''poison-men'
on hand to kill the future emperor of
India?
Hence elaborate precautions have
been taken from the start, and Wales,
who is not of courageous nature.
promised to do as advised. Conse-
ouently neither he nor his wife will
allow a native to approach them nearer
than ten feet. They are served by
people they brought from England ex-
clusively. Even the crew of the trains
4hexr travel in is made I'D entirely of
white men and white women.