Dead from Poison

And a Whole Family Narrowly Escapes

On Monday morning Mrs. D. J. Spencer and her cook, an old colored woman named Mary Bledsoe were poisoned by drinking coffee.

Coffee was prepared for breakfast in the ordinary way and set on the table.  Mr. Spencer and Mr. Ben Dillard, who was boarding with the family, not being accustomed to drinking coffee did not take any, but Mrs. Spencer took a cup and drank a few spoon full and on account of it burning her throat set it away, not dreaming that it contained a deadly poison.  The woman who prepared the meal then sat down and ate a hearty breakfast drinking two cups of coffee.  Shortly after the meal was finished Mrs. Spencer complained of being sick and began to vomit.  She Bledsoe woman also turned sick and began to vomit.  Drs. Ellis and Bryan were quickly called.  They pronounced it poison and began their best efforts to relieve the sufferers.  They succeeded in relieving Mrs. Spencer, who had only tasted the deadly draft but the cook continued to grow worse and died at 2 o'clock.

Dr. Bryans is making an analysis of the coffee but it is not yet complete and he is not prepared to say what the poison was.  

How it got into the coffee is a mystery.  No one can think that it was an attempt to kill the family for not one of them had an enemy in the world.

Middle Ga. Argus - Week of November 1, 1891

Submitted by Don Bankston