From a local paper, May 18, 1898--

Liberty, Indiana

Horrible Death of a Boy

Frankie Davis, living near here, died under strange and horrible conditions yesterday. While in his father's garden, he ate freely or rhubarb, devouring the plant raw. He also ate very freely of rhubarb pie at dinner. He again returned to the garden and ate of the pieplant. Soon after he was found on the ground, rolling and screaming in agony. A Physician was called, but too late to afford permanent relief, the lad soon dying in terrible agony. Tapering red worms of various lenghts appeared just before the boy's death, crawling from his nose, ears, and mouth. The physicians report that the stomach gave way because of the large amount of gas generated by the rhubarb.



Is this possible?
We ate tons of rhubarb as kids, raw, when we raided the old lady down the street's garden.

Good thing that didn't happen today. The libs would be forming a lynch mob to hang the father for growing the dangerous stuff.

I knew poke salit is poisonous if eaten raw, but didn't know about rhubarb. (Not that it matters... don't like the stuff myself).

Yeah, when I was a kid, they used to leave leftovers sitting on the table all day and we'd finish it off at night. Nowdays, people throw it out if it hasn't been refrigerated within two hours of cooking.

It's a wonder we lived to tell about it, huh?

:)
SMW

Sounds like a tall tale to me. I'd check snopes.

The rhubarb leaf is highly poisonous, the stalk, if cooked, is OK.

From a local paper, May 18, 1898--

Liberty, Indiana

Horrible Death of a Boy

Frankie Davis, living near here, died under strange and horrible conditions yesterday. While in his father's garden, he ate freely or rhubarb, devouring the plant raw. He also ate very freely of rhubarb pie at dinner. He again returned to the garden and ate of the pieplant. Soon after he was found on the ground, rolling and screaming in agony. A Physician was called, but too late to afford permanent relief, the lad soon dying in terrible agony. Tapering red worms of various lenghts appeared just before the boy's death, crawling from his nose, ears, and mouth. The physicians report that the stomach gave way because of the large amount of gas generated by the rhubarb.



Is this possible?
We ate tons of rhubarb as kids, raw, when we raided the old lady down the street's garden.

I did too, raw, but like OP said, not the leafs.
I'd be more worried about the worms coming out of every where, then the gas. I wonder where they came from?
I mean, if he'd have eaten them with the plant, then they'd have been chewed and dead.

The worms bothered me too, Imp. My god, how horrible.

That can't possibly be a journalist that wrote that story... right? Who writes like that? He ate freely? Too late to afford permanent relief?

I know it says 1898, but sounds made up to me.

Mr Cooper,

I work in the Special Collections department of our library.

For the past almost 25 years, one of my main duties has been to go through our old newspaper collection, from papers around the state, some of them dating back to 1823. This collection is on microfilm and is one of the most extensive in the state, next to the Indiana State Library's collection.

This was a genuine news story as reported in 1898. I assure you, the style of (flowery and sensationalisitic) writing is genuine, and common. This does not indicate that the story itself is not genuine.

Mr Cooper,

I work in the Special Collections department of our library.

For the past almost 25 years, one of my main duties has been to go through our old newspaper collection, from papers around the state, some of them dating back to 1823. This collection is on microfilm and is one of the most extensive in the state, next to the Indiana State Library's collection.

This was a genuine news story as reported in 1898. I assure you, the style of (flowery and sensationalisitic) writing is genuine, and common. This does not indicate that the story itself is not genuine.
Right on about that, Ren. I worked for the only newspaper in Dallas (and oldest in Texas) and one of my areas of responsibility was the archives. Numerous stories appeared daily in the old papers which pointed out how many 'n words' attended various functions as opposed to whites, etc. My fav part of the old papers were the 'household tips' sent in by readers. Found them a fascinating peek into lifestyles in the 1800's.

I'd love it if you posted more stuff from the archives. Great reading!

:)
SMW

There was defintely an overload of murder, mayhem, terrible death, and gossipy type news in those days, SMW. I am now indexing reports on the Spanish American War and the blowing up of the USS Maine. To say the reporting was unbiased is way off the mark. This was the age of William Randolph Hearst, multiple newspapers, and extensive competition between the papers, and the more bizarre and sensational the story, the better!

A few phrases that stand out--

"Death dealt the old woman the Ace of Spades last night....."


"Depraved, idiotic lunatic frightens matrons on Main Street...."

"Worthless drunk gets run over by train, body horribly mangled...."

and my fave--in huge headlines---

"Three Fry in Chair"

This has nothing to do with the main topic, but some of the stories in the old newspapers really stand out--simply because they're so heartbreaking.

Like the one about the deaf 3 year old boy, carrying a bunch of flowers for his mom, who was unable to hear the freight coming as he ran along the tracks and was run over in full view of his mother...1908


or the one about the world-class swimmer who fought the treacherous waters of the Niagara River for a full 2 hours while the crowd watched helplessly until he drowned after a valiant struggle..1902

or the little boy, terrified of water, who fell in a pond after being mercilessly teased by other kids because of his fear and drowned in one foot of water..1932


or Richard Chapman, convicted of murder, who did not receive a single visitor on Death Row, not even his gold digging girlfriend who'd encouraged him to commit the crime..... 1936

or maybe this one--a convicted murderer, from a prominent family, well-educated, who stood on the scaffold in front of a huge crowd in Kentucky who'd turned out in droves to watch him strangle at the end of a rope for a crime he swore he did not commit. His final statements were so eloquent that the crowd came over on his side and rushed the hangman, and that man was so fearful of being lynched he sprung the trapdoor on the helpless man and ran away. ... 1930's

Mr Cooper,

I work in the Special Collections department of our library.

For the past almost 25 years, one of my main duties has been to go through our old newspaper collection, from papers around the state, some of them dating back to 1823. This collection is on microfilm and is one of the most extensive in the state, next to the Indiana State Library's collection.

This was a genuine news story as reported in 1898. I assure you, the style of (flowery and sensationalisitic) writing is genuine, and common. This does not indicate that the story itself is not genuine.


Then start your post with "For the past almost 25 years, one of my main duties has been to go through our old newspaper collection... "

Easier for readers/responders to understand where you're coming from...

Anyway, worms? Why not.

Then start your post with "For the past almost 25 years, one of my main duties has been to go through our old newspaper collection... "

.

I'll do you one better. I'll start EVERY post of mine with those words.
That should thrill people, eh?

I've got a better idea. How about Mr. Cooper just STFUs?

How would starting her post that way add any veracity to it? She's already said it was an 1898 newspaper.

Because not knowing who she was, I read it as she found an article from 1898. Maybe on the internet? I had no idea she worked with old newspaper articles.... Not like it really matters...

Napsterbater, you look cranky. So is that a plural STFU? Or is it the 'shuts' that gets pluralized? Either way, thanks for the input.