"The Kansas City Journal" (Missouri) Friday, September 19, 1879 POISONED BY OPIUM Yesterday there occurred the funeral of a boy baby, sixteen months old, whose death took place Wednesday evening under circumstances of a most heart rending nature. The afflicted mother, Mrs. CROSS, resides at 1427 Main. One year ago she was called upon to mourn the loss of her husband. Among the medicine taken by him in his last illness were opium pills. They were put up in a box, and all had been used with but a single exception. The box, with the little pellet, got into a receptacle used for holding spools of thread and other small articles. Wednesday morning the little toddler secured the box containing the spools and amused itself with playing with these, and the pill box as well, which it finally opened, and seeing the pill, baby-like, put it in his mouth and swallowed what to an adult would have been an ordinary dose of opium, but to one of such tender age was followed by dire results. The drug soon began to take effect, and about noon the child becoming drowsy, Mrs. CROSS took it upon her lap and rocked it to what proved the sleep of death. She knew nothing of the pill being swallowed. As the hours grew on apace the fond mother remarked that her darling was taking an unusually long nap. At five o'clock, Mrs. CROSS finally determined to arouse him and dress him for supper. Going to the bedside and taking hold of the babe, she found the limbs cold and almost lifeless. Not yet knowing what had occurred, she screamed for help; physicians were hastily summed, whose practiced eye at once detected that it was a case of poisoning. They also saw that there was no hope, the fatal drug having then coursed throughout the entire system. Everything possible in the way of antidotes were used, but all to no purpose, and shortly after six o'clock the babe breathed its last. Investigations led to the discovery of the pill box, and the occurrence brought to the recollection of the distracted mother that it had contained one pill. ============================================ (I have no connection with this person but I'd appreciate knowing if you found this posting helpful.) ============================================