Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-07-18
NARROWING STORY OF
WHOLESALE POISONING
Milk Poisons 81 Persons Near
Thomasville.
AUTHORITIES WILL INVESTIGATE
All Members of Futch Household, in
Guiding Neiqhbors, Pastor and Physi-
Of Sick, Poisoned in Same Way.

ThomaSville, Ca, July ia story
of wholesale poisoning has been re-
! ported to the officers of Thomasville
from the home of Mrs. Alice Futch,
miles below Thomasyille. Twenty-one
people were made violently i'll last
Friday from eating biscuits that were
evidently made up with poisoned milk.
Suspicion so far rests on no Cne,
but it is believed that some one on
the place intended to murder some, if
not all, the members of the Futch fam
lily.
Among the victims who were made
very sick were DR.. A. H. Taylor, a
member Of the state board of health,
and one of the most prominent physi-
clans in this section, and Rev. r. A.
White a Baptist preacher of Thomas
vile, who is favorably known all over
the southern part of the state.
Suspicion that some one was trying
to poison the family were aroused
breakfast coffee was made from water
taken from the house bucket that sat
on the shelf on the back porch, the
coffee was so bitter that no one ccE Id
drink it. Another bucket of water
was brought and this also was too bit
ter to use. Fearing something was
wrong, the coffee was made from
water taken from another vessel
Last Thursday a week ago, the fam
lily had fried chicken for breakfast.
1t was not all consumed and what was
left was put up in the safe. The
family, consisting of Mrs. Futch and
her two sons, John and Allen, went
off to spend the day On their re-
turn that afternoon John ate some of
the chicken and he became very i'll.
Later his mother and brother also
partook of some of the chicken and
they, too, were made sick in the same
way
John Futch, fearing that some one
was trying to kill them, they skinned
the flour from the top of the barrel
in the pantry and put 1t in bucket
on the shelf. Last Wednesday his
mother was taken sick after eating a
biscuit and some watermelon. She
did not get better and Dr. Taylor was
summoned to attend her He went
down there in his buggy, but her case
was so serious that he felt he should
see her the next day.
In the meantime Rev. Mr. White,
pastor of the church to which the
Futch family belonged, stopped in to
see them, and was invited to spend the
night. He did So and was at din
ner the next day. Dr. Taylor was also
present at dinner. The cook, not
knowing about the removal of the
flour, took that which had been placed
in the bucket and used it. She mix
ed 1t with milk taken from the dairy.
The two Futch boys and Mr. White
were taken sick soon after dinner and
DIR. Taylor was taken i'll on his way
back to ThomasYille In his buggy.
The cook and three OF her children
were also made i'll.
-Four negroes on the place, who ate
| some clabber that came out of the
dairy, were taken sick in the same
way, and so were four other hands
who ate some biscuits made I'D for
dinner
A brood Of young turkeys were fed
on meal mixed up with clabber and
the mother and all the young ones
died in a little while.
Mrs. ]. G. Thomas, of MetcaIf, took
dinner with the family and was af.
fected In the same way That after.
noon Mrs. Alice Kern, neighbor. and
her two children visited the family,
The children wanted something to eat
and were given biscuit from those
lett from dinner. They became i'll.
but up to this time it was not thought
that the dinner biscuits caused it.
Monday night Miss Odum and Miss
Myrtle Kapp, two of the young ladies
In the neighborhood, came over to the
house and being hungry went to the
safe and got some biscuits, and 1t was
not long before they were all affected
just as all the others had been.
Some of the biscuits have been for
warded to DR.. Harris, OF Atlanta. sec
Tetary Of the state board of health. to
be examined AS soon as his report
Is received the officers will have some.
thing definite upon which to work.