Death From Poison

A Strychnine Bottle Found by a Little Girl

Charlotte Many Reid, the two-year-old daughter of Assemblyman William H. Reid of Tennent, died from strychnine poisoning on Monday of last week. Mr. and Mrs. Reid were both away from home at the time. They have seven children and they were left in charge of Blanche Reid, a relative, during the absence of the father and mother. The child was left asleep in an upstairs room, and on awakening crept into the attic. The child was found a little later sucking the cork of a bottle of strychnine. The bottle was empty, and apparently had been so for years, but there was enough poison adhering to the cork to cause the child's death. Shortly after the girl was found a twitching was noticed, and this was followed by slight convulsions and drowsiness. A doctor who was telephone for instructed them to keep the child awake, if possible, until he came, but the child died just as he arrived. Mrs. Reid reached home shortly after the death of the child, and Mr. Reid, who was away to the city, did not hear of the matter until he stopped at the store on his way home.

Mrs. Reid says that fourteen years ago she used some strychnine in the house and that she was afraid to throw the empty bottle away lest dogs or cats in the neighborhood should be poisoned by it. She hid it in the garret, on a beam, out of sight and reach. It is supposed that the bottle fell from its hiding place and was found by the child.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, October 26, 1898

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