Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-09
NARROWLY ESCAPE DEATH
SIX PERSONS ILL FROM EATING
IMPURE SAUSAGE.
Three Physicians Called-Trouble in
Effecting Relief, But Patients
Will Recover.

Six members OF the family of w. c. Mich
OILS. a carpenter living at 1927 \ street
northwest, had narrow escape from death
by ptomaine poisoning yesterday afternoon.
and it was only by heroic efforts of three
doctors for nearly three hours that fatal
results were prevented. All the members
of the family were feeling weak and i'll
last night from their experiences. but 1t is
expected they will entirely recover I'm
pure sausage eaten by the members of the
family is attributed as the cause of the
poisoning, as the illness came on after the
family had eaten generously of that article
of food.
The family. expecting to take trip TO
the zoo Yesterday afternoon, sat down to
a hurried luncheon about 1870 o'clock
There was nothing in the taste of the sau-
sage, which was the important part of
the meal, which gave an inkling of the
poison IL contained, and each member of
the family ate portions of it. About twenty
minutes afterward Mamie eleven years
old. the Oldest of the children, began to
surfer from cramps In her stomach. and in
very rev minutes she became weak
she could not stand. She complained to
her parents, but they did not regard her
illness as serious until she fell while pass
ing through the hallway on the first floor
or the house.
Others Become Ill,
soon after Mamie had been helped to a
ped Harry, five years old, complained of
sickness of the stomach, and Catherine.
aged seven years, and Sam, two years old
the baby of the family, suffered similar
attacks In short time. Because of this
sudden illness of all the children in the
1amliy Mrs. Nichols became greatly fright
ened and was almost Frustrated While
she was trying to do something for her
chlidren, however, she felt herself giving
away to illness similar to that which az
Iected the children, and She was compelled
10 lie down. Violent cramps seized her
and the husband tried some home remedies
IN an effort to give her relief
BY this time Mr.. Nichols realized that the
services OF a physician were needed. He
nal only recently moved into the neigh
borhood, however, and did not know where
10 seek doctor. Through the aid of neigh
bors, who had learned of the illness of the
FAMILY, DR.. s. Logan Owens and DIR. George
reached the house they found the family
In pitiful condition. Five of them were
writing with pain. and the smaller chill
dren were crying for their mother, who was
too Ill to answer their calls. The husband
was overcome by the suddenness of the at
tack and its apparent seriousness
Il did not know whether there would be
one, two or five corpses in a few minutes"
he said to a Star reporter last night land
l believe l would have cut my throat if any
one of them had died just at that time"
A Stubborn Case.
After the arrival of the two physicians
referred to third one came in, and the
three set to work to counteract the effects
of what they recognized at once as pto-
maine poisoning. Mamie. the first one to
become i'll, and Sam, the youngest child
were found to be in the worst plight, and
attention was first directed to them. Nam
ME had eaten more than the others of the
sausage, 1t was said, and the doctors found
much trouble at first in counteracting the
effects of the deadly poison which had gone
through her system. Mr.. Nichols was also
taken i'll about three hours after the lun-
cheon, and was, accordingly the sixth vic
tim.
AS soon as it was determined by the phy-
sicians that the six members of the family
would recover an investigation was started
to ascertain the cause of the Illness and
1t was finally decided that the sausage was
responsible 1t was purchased in the Cen
ter market about an hour before 1t was
eaten, 1t was explained, and had been cook
ed by Mrs. Nichols. Some police action
may later be taken against the dealer who
sold the sausage.
Mr.. Nichols is employed as a carpenter
on the new building of the Union Trust
Company at 10th and H streets northwest
but yesterday he was enjoying his Satur-
day half holiday. The members of the
family feared to discuss what might have
happened had the head of the household
been at work and unable to summon aid
at the DrODpr time