The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-19
BISCUIT POISON WIDESPREAD
MANY WE'RE MADE I'LL ~ THE
SEARLES FAMILY'S FLOUR.
Biscuits Given % LauDdress and Given BY
Her 60 NeIghbOr Caused Pains IN
All VINO Ate % Them-ChemIst FINDS
Much Arsenic On sample % the Flour.

STAMFORD. Conn. Sept Is.-ThAt thu
twelve people who ate Of tho arsenic
tainted -four in the home OF william l.
Searles az Contentment Island In Roway
ton on September q owe their lives TO q
warning given by AIRS. Paul Harrison, thu
Searles laundress. was a statement made
tonight by Mr.. Searles AZ his summer
home
Mr. searles also said that Pierre HeritieT
and his wife Honorine themselves ate Of
the same -four two hours before they left
the Searles house. The very next time
the -four was used everybody who tasted
things in which IL was used became sick.
Mr.. Searles said that 90 thiokly scattered
was the arsenic IL was visible TO the naked
eye A chemical analysis Of q good sized
box Of the -four made. he said. by State
Chemist Herbert z. Smith OF New Haven.
revealed the presence Of per cent. OF
arsenic
In the bench warrant obtained by
Assistant State Attorney Carter Of this
city Heretier and his wife arc charged
with attempting 70 kill Mr.. and Mrs.
Searles. The evidence IL purely circun-
stantial.- said Assistant Prosecutor Car
ter tonight arsenic was found in the
-four and some one put IT there. BY
process 81 elimination suspicion points
only to Heretier and his wife They were
discharged peremptorily by Mr.. Searles
because their services were unsatis-
factory. Whatever evidence we have
other than the State chemists report
do not care to say. There is nothing. how
ever. to show that Heretier or his wife
made any threats-
-Heretier and his wife came here on
trial for n veek.- said Mr. Searlee to-
night They wer" unsatisfactory and al
IN. end II the week We told them we would
not k""p them. IL was on the morning q
September We told thsm this.
They had their lunch here az I o'clock
and they both ate IT things made from
-four from tiIs same barrel They left
here At =. NJ The very next meal in
which this -four was used made people
sick That night Mrs Searles and had
five friends to dinner. Every one Of
them became sick suddenly after eating
The -four was used To make biscuits and
To make gravies for meat and fish. Ab-o-
lutely every one who tasted 10 became
sick Ii affected the servants too The
next day Mrs. Paul Harrison. our laun-
dress, ate Of the biscuits and she too be-
came III. When Mrs. Harrison went
home To Stamford that night our cook
CAV" her a batch of the biscuits.
Il DID not know ~ this at the time.
and II cours. the cook didn't dream that
'herc was ANYTHING the matter With tn"
biscuits Mrs. Harrison left our place
about ~. | guess ~ was two hours
later when "" Got a telephone message
FROM her At Sta mford saying that the
people there who had "ltcu Of the bis
cults were very sick Don't Use any
more ~ the -four said Mrs Harris
We had been puzzled nv the limos
Our guests and domsstIcs. and this " t-i
ing Alarmed rs very much We called
pur local physician and told him what
Mrs Harrison had sad lie made an |
examination ~ the -four then and ~
justified the suspicion. You could see
With you- naked eye the arsenic scattered |
through u Then NE sent a box 81 the
-four To the State chemist;
i am informed that he reports finding
! per cent. Of arsenic in the sample There
was a box Of rough on rats in our PANTRY /
closet. Some one put this rough GA rats
IA that quarter barrel Of -four
Mr. Searles reported the matter 10
Assistant state Attorney Carter here and .
started an investigation which resulted /.
IN last 'ghts arrests
Mrs Harrison was in New York TODAY
and could not he seen. Her neighhor
Mrs John Brennan. a sister law 81 |
Chief 81 Polio" Brennan. told how Mrs
Harrison happened 20 wnrn the Searle-
Mrs Brennan ate of the biscuits brought [
hero 10y Mrs. Harrison and became 50 /
al that for a few days her life was des-
paired Of A Miss Minnie Keyte Of s77 |
East 10th street, New York, who was
visiting Mrs Brennan. was also made NJ |
and was IN danger for three or -four DAYS
Mrs. Harrison came home very sick |
late on the afternoon Of September -
said Mrs Brennan. I've hem sick all |
the afternoon she said. don't feel able
IN get supper, ! told her to lie down |
and 20 send her thirteen-year-old sou /
Paul UP stairs To have supper with Ne
Paul came mp presently with a plate Of |
the biscuits his mother had brought home. |
While "" were az the table Miss Reyte. |
Paul. my eleven-year-oldd daughter El~anor |
and myself. Mrs Harrison knocked on |
our door ! lef her in
She was a. white as n ghost. I'm so /
sick. she Said ! think I'm going To die |
Lot me die here. won't you'' made her
lie on a couch and tried by joking To make |
her forget the illness. Meantime we all |
had taken a biscuit In fifteen minutes |
Mrs. Harrson's son Paul became very !
III.
~Then nv daughter Eleanor began N !
NbNiilA N'ttlpAAUl bl rANeTt pains IN !
her stomach I was the next 20 become |
sick Miss Keyte had packed her suit |
car. and was ready 20 leave for New |
York. Well. am lucky 20 have escaped !
It.. she aid In few minutes she was
growing pale and complaining Of nausea
Then she too became violently III We
called a physician and he said IL was |
poison. but he didn't think Il serious at |
first
The illness ~ the others 40 alarmed |
Mrs Harrison that shs seemed 90 grow |
stronger. She thought u must he the |
biscuits that had made us sick 30 she |
went IN the telephone and told Mr. Searles. |
We were all pretty sick but I guess |
was the worst Ny physician sat up all !
night With me- Wednesday, and on Sftur- |
day whom I was out Of danger he told |
me for the fret time that he had grave |
fears for my recovery the first night |
or 40.
MIR SearIes said tonight that 80 far |
a. he knew all his guests az the dinner |
party Of Sept ember had recovered |
He 10 to 90 20 New York Tomorrow with |
Chief ~ Police Brennan to identify the |