Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 212, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1914 — ATE TOADSTOOLS FOB MUSHROOMS [ARTICLE]

ATE TOADSTOOLS FOB MUSHROOMS

Two Lafayette Men Are Dead and Two Others Dying As a Result of Mistaking Fungus. Jacob May and William Ogden are dead and Michael May and George Baudy are dying as the result of eating mushrooms. The May brothers have been operating a tile mill at Altamont, Tippecanoe county, for years and occupy a house near the factory. Saturday afternoon they planned to have a mushroom feast for supper and Jacob May went into the Mirinsky woods and gathered a large number of fungus growth. The supper was prepared by George Baudy and those who partook were Jacob May, William Orgen, Michael May and Mr. Baudy. Isaac Brickler was a guest, but did not eat any of the mushroom's. None of the men felt any inconvenience until about 4 o’clock Sunday morning, and all were taken ill about the same time Their condition grew worse and their illness would not yield to remedies prescribed by several physicians. Sunday evening the condition of Jacob May and William Ogden had become critical and they were taken to St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Lafayette Mr. May died aft 6 o’clock Monday morning and Mr. Ogden at 8:15 o’clock. Michael May and George Baudy did not yield to the effects of the poison as quickly as their companions and their condition did not become critical untli later, when both were taken to St. Elizabeth’s hospital. Monday night their condition was extremely critical. Michael May was stronger earlier in the evening and his heart was better, but he had not passed the danger paint. Jacob May, who collected the mushrooms, had been gathering the fungus growth for years and was supposed to be able to distinguish the deadly varieties from the harmless ones. Mr. Baudy, who prepared them for the table, has had years of experience in gathering them and cooking them and no one can understand how the men were poisoned* unless several of the poisonous variety were mixed with the others and escaped Mr. Baudy’s scrutiny when they in the iron skillet in which they were friend. If there were any poisonous ones in the collection they would have poisoned the whole mess. When there is any suspicion about preparing mushrooms for the table, people sometimes use a silver spoon or drop a silver dime into the vessel. If. there are any poisonous mushrooms in the collection the silver is blackened.