The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-11-09
-FOUR MEMBERS OF
FAMILY ARE DEAD
Baby and Its Father Rushed to The
Hospital
POISONING IS SUSPECTED?
Physicians Believe Acute Case of
Malaria Affects Humans
and Stock.

Allendale, Nov. 8.-One of the most
mysterious affairs ever occurring in
this county came to light this morn
ing when the fourth member Of the
family of Joe Lee, constable of a
magistrate living at Beldoc, a town
about four miles from here, succumb-
ed to mysterious illness last night.
Previous to the death of the wife Of
Mr.. Lee last night three of the child
rem of the family had died, all within
less than a week. The only members
of the family now alive are four
months old baby and Mr.. Lee, himself.
Mr.. Lee was taken to the University
Hospital in Augusta, Ca, this morn
ing upon advice of physicians who are
unable to diagnose the case to their
satisfaction.
An inquest was held over the body
of Mrs. Lee this morning and the
vital organs of the woman sent to the
State laboratory for analysis. The
popularity of the affair lies in the
fact that every member Of the family
has been affected the same way. In
addition to this, it is reported that
all the livestock around the home of
Mr.. Lee has been affected. Two boys
have died. All the poultry have died
and the cow, has been vomiting for
two days. The facts, together with
other circumstances, have brought out
the opinion in this section that, the
family has in some way been so pc
culiar that the poison theor yhas es-
tablished some credcnce among them
and the stomach of one of the victims
was cut out and sent on Wednesday
to the laboratory Of the State Board
of Health for examination.
The board further has boan re
quested to send to the scene an expert
to examine the source the probability
of the poisoning theory. This in all
probability will be done and a correct
diagnosis of the case be in hand in a
few days. One physician in attendance
on the family went so far as to ad-
NIT that the symptoms in all the cases
were almost identical to those evident
in arsenic. The theory of poisoning
IS given further credcnce by the fact
that the victims themselves firmly be-
lievc that such is the case and go
further and state that the poisoning
is the result Of foul play. 1t seems
That Mr.. Lee or some member of his
family had had difficulty with a
nearby neighbor and there was bad
blood between them. Lee voluntarily
gave the name of the person he sup
poses to have committed the crime,
alleged.
SO far no action has been taken Of
hclally, due to an utter lack of evil
dence. Lee seems to think and the
peculiar circumstances arising form
the death of the livestock about the
place bears this out in way, that the
well, from which the supply of water
was taken, had been poisoned. 1t is
Tor the purpose Of examining the wa
ter in the well and to look into other
peculiar circumstances surrounding
the strange death of the victims, that
the presence Of an expert from the
State board has been requested. While
all three of the physicians so far
called into the case cling to the
hypothesis that acute malaria is the
cause of the deaths, there is an OBJ
V,lous doubt in all their minds that
the poisoning theory is not altogether
impossible. Every effort viii, of
course, be made to clear the mystery
or the affair up. 1t was said to have
been most distressing sight to have
seen the dead bodies of the three chill
dren lying side by side and the mother
and father lying at the point of death.