The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-03-21
--
500 DUMB
bRUTES ARE
POISONED
Soldiers Guarding Stock Yards
As Federal Officials Carry
On investigation
Ten Thousand Men, Women and Chill
dren Participate in Remarkable De-
monstrstion Of Patriotic Protest
Against Pro.German Propaganda.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Covington. Ky.-Five hundred OF
the 700 horses bound for army service
in France we're dead in Covington and
others showed signs OF distress. A
new theory was advanced as to the
method used in what is declared to be
a German war plot to destroy the ami
mails. IL is believed that the horses
are victims of the incubation of a
deadly tropical disease germ, and not
dying of a poison taken in food or
water Experts investigating the death
of the hundreds of army horses be-
lieved Saturday that the symptoms
pointed to this tropical disease. The
only way the horses could have con-
tracted the disease, the experts say. is
by incubation. II this is true, the
plot must have been carried while the
animals we're in transit to Covington
from Camp Grant. Rockford, ILL.,. en-
route to an Atlantic port
Soldiers were guarding the Coving-
ton stockyards while Federal officials
continued their Investigations. The
horses dead so far are valued at about
$4,000 c. S. Weakley, of the Depart
ment of Justice, is leading the investi-
cation by Government agents.
Chemists worked all night on their
Investigations. but thus far have
reached no definite decision as to what
is causing the death of the horses.
Dr. Blume. chief food inspector of Gin
cinnati, who has taken charge OF the
meteorological phase of the case, re-
fused to make any statement until he
had received a report from the chem
lists. The 727 horses were in SO cars
from Camp Grant, Rockford, Ill. They
reached Covington and were to be
transferred to the G. & o. for ship
ment to an Atlantic port. The horses
we're unloaded, fed and watered. They
were reported to be in first-class con-
dition when they left Rockford, and
the way they attacked their food on
their arrival at Covington indicated
that they were still healthy on arrival
there.
Lieut.. Frank Lille is in charge Of
the shipment. He expressed the opin-
ion that the horses had been poisoned
either by having some drug placed IN
their food or drinking water after
their arrival at Covington.
DIR. Blume and his assistants, Drs.
A. W. Ziebold and c. Il. Johnson, went
to the Covington stockyards and in
spected all the horses there. They
expressed the belief that anthrax had
not caused the deaths. The blood OF
some Of the dead horses was brought
to Cincinnati and guinea pigs were
inoculated with IL. DR.. Blume said
that IL the deaths were caused by poi.
son the guinea pigs will live. but II
by disease, they will die. He said that
several days will elapse before the
exact nature Of the poison or disease
can be determined
Ten thousand men. women and chill
dren of Covington, KY, participated
in a remarkable demonstration of pa
triotic protest against pro-German
propaganda in Covington as exempli'
fed by the murder by poisoning o.;
500 Government artillery horses in
tended for service in France. Ten
thousand others we're unable to ge,
near the field outside the stockades Of
the Covington stock yards, Sixteenth
and Russell streets, wherein lay the
carcasses of hundreds of animals and
the steadily diminishing number OF
survivors of the poison plot. Ken
lucky farmers and stock raisers from
Alexandria. Independence, Williams
town. and even as far as Lexington.
mingled with the crowd, their counte'
lnances dark with thoughts OF ven
geance as they beheld the work Of
German agents.