HAYS family - poisoned
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Monday 19 March 1894
Waynetown, March 19—Yesterday at Hillsboro Dr. Hays, his daughter, Vonia, Mrs. Rivers, his mother-in-law, Cora Campbell, a young lady studying with the doctor, were all poisoned yesterday by eating ‘pressed chicken.’ Vonia, the daughter, stayed home from church and ate some of the chicken about 10 o’clock. By 11 o’clock she was vomiting and cramping so severely that her father was sent for at church. He dosed her up till noon and then the above named persons together with George, the colored man who stays there, all ate heartily of the same kind of food, which by 2 o’clock worked on all of them alike. Everyone vomited, cramped, and finally purged. Dr. Hays and his daughter were given up as dead, or about so, for a time. The colored man and the old lady were in a critical condition, the hired girl getting off the easiest. Dr. Hurt and Dr. Stout were hastily summoned and by means of stomach pump, antidotes, etc., succeeded in saving them. They worked till midnight without ceasing. All were improving this morning. Still Dr. Hays, his daughter and mother-in-law are in a critical condition yet.
Known as the "Hillsboro Poisoning"
Source: South Bend Tribune Tue March 20, 1894 p 1
Crawfordsville, Ind March 20 – A wholesale poisoning occurred at Hillsboro Sunday night. The family and servants of Dr. Hays were all taken violently sick after eating canned chicken. George Busby, a colored hire hand is dead and Dr. Hays and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Rivers are at the point of death. The others may recover.
Source: Huntington Weekly Herald Fri March 23, 1894 p 7
Crawfordsville, March 20 – A wholesale poisoning has occurred at Hillsboro. The family and help of Dr. Hays were all taken violently sick after eating canned chicken and three deaths will likely result. George Busby, a colored hired hand is dead and Dr. Hays and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Rivers, lie at the point of death. The others bid fair to recover.