The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-02
MAIL CARRIER IS | ALMOST K|LLEDBY POISONED CANDY Roscoe Murphy Received Package Yesterday
 Through Mails HAS ALSO RECEIVED BLACK HAND LETTERS Believed That Murphy Is Not Liked by Negro Mail Carriers at
 Pratt City-Others
 Ate Candy

You had better quit your present em- ployment and leave by the first of June was the substance of a "Black Hand letter received few days ago by Roscoe Murphy. white mail carrier of the Pratt City station.
 And Murphy came pretty near leaving his present employment on the date speci- fled and taking journey to that bourne from whence no traveller ever returns"
 It was by the strychnine route that he nearly departed.
 Saturday morning while Carrier Murphy was attending his duties at the Pratt City postoffiee and getting ready to take his accustomed route to deliver mail pack sge was handed to him by one of the clerks. It was carefully addressed and had been mailed at Ensley. Murphy opened the package and a box of luscious chocolate bon-bons was revealed. He was at loss to figure out the donor of the sweets but nevertheless accepted 1t and
 
 rest of the office force. Jack X. Thomas. the round and genial postmaster of Ems ley and Pratt, was the first to take piece of the tempting candy. Miss Nola Young ate a piece. as did Eugene Mee- han. the sorrel topped statesman from Limerick
 otn natured banter was indulged in and the entire office force agreed that some fair maid had been stricken with the manly form and ruddy face of the mail carrier and was laying a predicate for leap year proposal. But little did they think that while indulging in this good natured ''chaff they were very near to the brink of eternity, for among the dainty and innocent looking layers of candy were pieces that contained enough death deal ing poison to kill half dozen men.
 Fortunately all the candy was not pois- oned and by rare chance the intended victim got the dose. The other partakers managed to escape. and the innocent by stander'' for once came out all right.
 As was before stated Murphy was mail carrier and taking his bag loaded to ovefflowing with letters, books and pack ages started out to deliver the morning mail He had not gone far before he began to feel sick. In few minutes he was in convusions. Assistance was hur- riedly summoned, and pr. c. W. Brown, Dr. Stagg and Dr. Canes arrived on the scene It was quickly decided that the patient had been poisoned but thanks to the prompt assistance and untiring energy of the medicos his life was saved. although he had probably swallowed enough strycn- nine. to kill mule. He was removed to his boarding house at East Highland and at a late hour was resting well with Ii fair chance to recover.
 The incident caused much excitement yesterday and many theories have been advanced. The one that seemed to have most weight is the fact that Murphy was "spotted for removal by some of the negro aspirants to the position. he being the only white mall carrier in the Pratt station.
 That some one is trying to induce him to leave this vicinity is evident from the two black hand letters he has received in the past few weeks, and on comparison with the address as written on the box of candy all were penned by the same person.
 The statement was made last night that strychnine was found in several pieces of candy In the box. This could not be veri- fled, however, for the candy, black hand letters and all other materials in the case were taken in charge by the postal cu- thorities and locked up in a safe pending the arrival of an inspector from the post office dena rtrnent at ashin etnn