The Omaha morning bee., 1925-04-12

tain an order from Coroner A. O..
Dobbins of Porter county for the ex
humation Of one Of the bodies of five
members of the family OF Mrs. Anna
Cunningham, who Is detained for
questioning in connection with the in
quiry into the five deaths within six
years
1t was planned only to exhume one
of the bodies in the investigation to
determine whether death was other
than natural. Poison was found In
the Cunningham home and David
Cunningham, jr., Is known to be suf
fering from poisoning in a Chicago
hospital.
Miss May Cunningham. IT, only
surviving daughter of Mrs. Cunning
ham, accompanied the officials.
Besides a box of poison. samples of
other substances found in the Gun
nngham home and several capsules
were removed to be subjected to chem.
ical analysis.
Chicago April 11.-David Cunning
ham, "a, of Gary, Ind, who is bat
Ting against a slow and agonizing
death from arsenic poisoning in a Chi
cago hospital, today told circumstances
OF deaths of five other members OF his
family which caused the coroner's of
flee and Gary authorities TO start a
dual investigation into what is be,
leved to have been a wholesale murder
plot.
Feebly, in whispers, repeated by
Miss Helen Cummings, nurse, the
youth told authorities of the mysteri.
Gus death of his father, three brothers
and sister, after brief illnesses OF two
weeks or less, and all within the last
six years.
my father. David Cunningham,
young David whispered painfully, died
IN 1919. He was Ill only about two
weeks. lie was 81.
Sister Dies Suddenly.
"Then Isabelle, my sister-she was
1s-died the next year. She was Dick
only about two weeks.
A pause for painful breath ana
the dying youth continued:
.'IIarry was next. He was "a and
died in 1921. sick just 10 days. A
year later 1t was Charles. He was
1s. and sick 10 days. Then In 1923,
little Walter-he was just 13r-died
And he was sick only 10 days.
"Abuot six weeks ago, while | was
at work at the steel mill in Gary
opened my lunch box and took
hite Of apple. The first bite made
me awfully sick. Then the rest Of
~ food IA sted all alike
II had to go home. My hands and
feet got weaker and weaker. I
cosldn't use them. But l got bet
ter.
Became I'll Again.
"But about 10 days ago, 7 got sick
,gain-wores and worse. Then they
brought me here.
Young Cunningham was brought to
the Chicago hospital from Gary
Thursday, when DIR. II. II. Harris
and other physicians at the Gary hos,
pitaI unable to determine the exact
nature of his illness, advised his re-
moval. At the hospital here. DR..
Thomas A. Carter diagnosed the
cause as arsenic poisoning and ad.
ylsed the coroner's office. Tests
showed Cunningham's organs filled
with arsenic, DIR. Carter said.
The Cunningham family lived In
pretty little cottage in good neigh.
borhood. The father and sons had all
been Industrious. hard working men,
and the family stood well in the com.
munity. At no time, Gary authorities
said, had the circumstances of the
deaths aroused official suspicion.
But checking back today, authorities
became more and more suspicious, and
exhumins the bodies of the father,
three sons and the daughter were dis.
cussed.
Since young David has been In the
hospital here. his mother and surviv-
ing sister have been staying at the
home OF an aunt OF the youth, Mrs.
Clarence r. Williams.