The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-07

Eight of the deadly olives now are in
the hands of authorities. They are be-
lieved to be all that were not eaten.
out Of a l6-ounce glass oontainer which
held the fatal fruit.
The olives We're Curtis qunlity. cali.
fornia ripe olives" put up, according
to the label on the eontainer. by the
Curtis Olive CORPORATION, Los Angeles,
Cal"
This is the brand for which pure
food inspectors throughout the country
made nation wide search of grocery
stores last September and October,
after II persons died in Detroit from
eating ripe olives at a hotel banquet
The olives which had such a deadly
effect in Memphis, came from a stock
handled by Watson's. bargain store
at 1875 N, Main street, according to in
formation which was given to the city
chemist Saturday at noon.
The container and the olives both had
an extremely offensive odor. The con
tainer was found on the sink drain
board in the Inflated Vunkannon home
Saturday morning, by G. A. Seyforth
and Fl. c.. Schroeppel. friends of the
Vunkannon family.
The eight olives were found in the
backyard. where they bad been thrown;
upoi hNiNibplt ipuhu NiCll tuhJ
morning.
The glass container of olives was part
of a purchase which Spicer made at the
Watson bargain store before Christ
mas. according to Seyforth and
Schroeppel, who said Mrs. Spicer, gave
them the information. She stated that
she either had given or sold to Mrs.
Vunkannon, the jar OF olives, after her
husband made the purchase.
Improper sterilization OF the fruit at
the time of canning, leaving spores OF
bacteria, which became active and null
tiplied under the favorable conditions
in the stomaches Of the victims, IS be-
lieved to be the solution to the cause
of the deaths by +. A. Mantel, city
chemist and bacteriologist.
Mrs Hammond was the first one OF
the persons who ate of the poison fruit
to become ill. Symptoms somewhat SIM
liar to those of ptomaine poisoning
seized her at her home about o'clock
Friday morning. She was removed to
the Presbyterian Home hospital. where
she died at $50 o'clock Friday morn
ing She had been a sufferer from
heart trouble, and also had goiter
At first it was believed that her heart
affection was the cause Of death.
The olives we're suspected when, one
by one. the other sufferers became ILL.,
They first became nauseated, then in
the further development of the poison
effects, their throat muscles became
somewhat paralyzed their threats raw
end inflamed, and their vision dim
med
Mrs. Crofford was seized with violent
illness at O'Clock Friday night at
the undertaking parlors Of the Spencer
company where she was maintaining
vigil at the casket Of Mrs Ham
mond.
one by one the other victims We're
seized by the fatal poison. Each was
taken TO the hospital where Mrs. Ham
mond had been taken for treatment.
MIR. Ivy was the first to succumb.
He died at 3:l0 o'clock Saturday morn
ing. He was the brother OF Mrs. Vun-
kannon. at whose home the club meet
ing was held
The death of Mrs, Nunkannon fol
lowed that Of Mr.. ivy. she died at
o'clock Saturday morning,
Mrs. Crofford succumbed 10 minutes
later at $40 o'clock.
At the time Of his wife's DEATH Mr.
Nunkannon was reported to be in a
dying condition, His death was ex
| pected before noon,
Mrs. Uzell X. Ivy, who Is i'll at hel
| home, can attribute the fact that she
| will live to not being fond Of olives
and the influenza epidemic. She ate
| only two of the poison olives. Feeling
i'll some hours afterward. she rock q
dose OF flu medicine and of ,calomel
| This, 1t is believed. saved her life.
Mr.. Ivy and Mr.. Nunkannon did moi
attend the luncheon, where the poison
fruit was served Mr. Ivy drove pas
| his sisters house to take Mrs. Ivy
| home, and while there he and Mr.
| Vunkannon, who had arrived home q
! short time before, ate freely OF thu
olives, laughingly remarking that thu
| ladies' had left quite a large quantit!
| of the delicious relish.
| The 10-year-old Ivy lad, who at
| tended the luncheon with his mother
nibbled at one OF the poison ripe olives
| but did not like the taste. and laid |
| down. remarking to his mother that 1
4 didn't taste good to him.
| II was Mrs. Vunkannon's first day
| as a member OF the Thursday club
which met at the home OF one of its
| eight members every Thursday.
Other members Of the club, who fol
| one reason or another, could not at.
tend the fatal meeting last Thursday
| are:
Mrs. Frank Kerns, Mrs. Aubrey Olds
Mrs Forrest Proctor and Mrs. Chesir
| Wilcox.
Thursday, Feb. ), was the date fol
| Mrs. Kerns TO entertain the club, Mrs
yunkannon. the new member, was Il
r.