This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Barwick, Plasky, Tess, Backer, Wisneski, Kowalski, Boness, Orikkowski, Pawleski, Woznicki, Grubba, Chudec, Green, Golla, Jerak, Schafranski, Greek, Peralzcynski, Brooks, Edwards, Baker, Srrike, Marchel, Classification: Death Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DFC.2ACE/2.385.1.3.9 Message Board Post: Source - The Stevens Point Daily Journal - 25 Jul 1934 (front page) Almond Woman and Son Die, Three Other Ill in Hopital, all ate canned Fruit, Fish - Autopsy Performed by Two Stevens Point Doctors Today as Authorities Act to Learn Cause of Illness to Family Two town of Almond residents are dead and three others are in St Michael's hospital, presumably as the result of eating poisoined food, and Portage county authorities today ordered an autopsy conducted to determine what had caused the illness and deaths. All the victims are members of the same family. The deead are Mrs Rose Plasky, age 50 years and her son Raymond 22. Those who are ill and are at the hospital are three other sons, Albert 18, Joseph 17, and Robert 16. They were improved today, although they were in a weak condition. Mrs Plasky died at the Plasky home two and one-quarter miles east of Almond village Tuesday afternoon while seated in a chair beside a bed. Her son, Raymond who was brought to the hospital by ambulance at 5:30 o'clock died at 9:30 last night. At Fish, Berries - County authorities determined that the members of the family who died and those who became ill ate a meal Monday night which included home-canned fish and June berries which were canned about two weeks ago. Two other members of the household, Mr and Mrs Peter Plasky, a son and daughter-in-law of Mrs Rose Plasky, who did not become ill, said they did not eat any of the canned food, which had been put up in glass fruit jaws. Mrs Peter Plasky is the mother of a week-old baby. Mrs Rose Plasky is the widow of Joseph Plasky, who died last Apr 18. The first report regarding the illness of members of the family was received at the county relief office. Dr M W Meyer of Almjond, who had been called to attend them, telephoned the county relief office in St Point and reported that one of the members of the family should be removed and given medical care. It was udnerstood at first that the case was one of heat prostration and the relief department made plans to h! ave the patient place in a ward at the county home. Finds woman dead - Coroner Victor S Prais went to the Almond Home with an ambulance, arriving there between 4 and 5 o'clock Tuesday afternnon. He found that Mrs Plasky had died about 30 minutes before and that the son, Raymond, was in critical condition. Raymond was place in the ambulance and rushed to the hospital. He was lying on a cot when the coroner arrived at the family home. Mr Prais, after brining the young man to the hospital, returned last evening to the Plasky home to bring the body of Mrs Plasky to St Point. The three other boys in the family were complaining of illness and they were brought to the hospital last night by their sister, Mrs Stella Baker of Chicago, who had been sent for earlier Tuesday and arrived by automobile from Chicago accompanied by Russell Smith. Murat Investigates - District Attorney Walter B Murat went to the Plasky home last night to conduct an investigation. He was told that members of the family who became ill ate supper Monday evening which consisted of home canned blue gills caught in Bass Lake, home canned June berries, sweet sour cabbage, new potatoes, bread, butter, and tea. The two, who died, and the three who are in the hospital ate these things, but Peter and his wife did not. Peter, who is 23 years old, complained that he had not been feeling well for some time. Ill Tuesdya Morning - The members of the family retired Monday evening at various times, from 9-10 o'clock and did not become seriously ill during the night. Mrs Rose Plasky had complained of not feeling well Monday afternoon, and this was attributed to the heat. She did housework that afternoon before preparing supper. Tuesday morning when she awakened she was ill and did not dress, returning to bed after getting up. Other members of the family arose, between 6:30 and 7am. Raymond, who died at the hospital, was the next to become ill. He complained of illness Tuesday morning and his condition from that time on became worse. Robert, the 15 year old son was the next one to become ill, and his brothers Albert and Joseph were subsequently stricken during the day on Tuesday. No regular meal was prepared by the family Tuesday noon, but members of the family helped themselves to a lunch, eating bread and butter and drinking milk. Did Not Suffer Pain - The DA was informed by members of the faily that they did not suffer pin after becoming ill. Dr Meyer was called from Almond Tuesday morning to care for Mrs Rose Plasky. The three boys in the hospital were given medical care upon arrival at the hospital where the contents of their stomachs were pumped out. Dr F A Marrs, who had been called to attend the boys at the hospital and Dr Erich Wisiol were selected by county officials to perform an autopsy upon the bodies of Mrs Plasky and her son today at the Prais funeral home. To Make Stomach Analysis - The DA who brought cans of the June berries and fish to Stevens Point from the Plasky home for analysis, said that the contents of the stomachs of the two victims who died would be subjected to a chemical analysis by a pathologist to determine the nature of the poisoning. It was reported that members of the family had previously eaten some of the canned food without becoming ill. The canned goods were kept in a cool basement at the home. One theory advanced was that the poison might possibly come from contaminated well water, but this theory was discounted by the authorities. Native of Hatley Mrs Plasky, whose maiden name was Rose Barwick, born at Hatley on 31 Aug 1884. Her marriage to Joseph Plasky took place at St Point 33 years ago. The couple continued to live here, where the son, Raymond was born on Oct 6, 1912. the fmaily lived at Chicago for two years, a short time at Plainfield, and in the town of Grant, and for the past few months have been residing on the William Tess farm east of Almond, where they were tenants. Surviving are nine sons, and one daughter, John 1203 Michigan Ave, August, Nick, and Mrs Stella Backer of Chicago, Barney of Junction City, Peter, Albert, Joseph, and Robert at home and Ben, who has been at the home of his brother at Junction City for the past four months. Mrs Plasky is also survived by one sister and six brothers, Mrs Steve Wisneski of Ironwood, MI; John Barwick Milwaukee, August Barwick of Wausau, Joseph Barwick of Hatley, Peter Barwick of Schofield, Ben Barwick 710 UnionStreet, and Stanley Barwick who resides in New Jersey. Double Rites Friday - Double funeral services will be held Friday morning qat 8:30 o'clock at St Peter's church, St Point. Burial will take place in St Peter's cemetery. The bodies will be at the Prais funeral home until the time of the funeral. Source - The Stevens Point Daily Journal - 26 Jul 1934 - Three Victims of Poisoning Better Today - Autopsy Performed and Authorities Await Toxicological Report - (Front page) Improvement was reported today in the condition of three town of Almond boys, Albert, Joseph, and Robert Plasky,, ages 18, 17, and 16 years respectively, who are suffering from poisoning apparently contracted from eating poisoned food. The three youths are patients in St Michael's hospital, St Point, where their brother, Raymond, 22, died Tuesday night of the same ailment. Their mother, Mrs Rose Plasky, also stricken, died Tuesday afternoon at her farm home. Continue Investigation - DA Walter B Murat and Coroner Victor S Prais today continued investigations in an effort to learn how and in what manner the five victims were poisoned. Post mortem examinations of the bodies of Mrs Plasky and the son who died were performed at the Prais funeral home Wednesday by Drs Fred A Marrs, Erich Wisiel and F F Dollert, the latter coroner's pathologist in Milwaukee who was called here by county authorites. Findings awaiting - (not included) Boys Escape Illness - It was reported Wednesday that George Plasky, three year old son of Mr and Mrs Peter Plasky, and Chester Kowalski, 10 year old brother of Mrs Peter Plasky, had eaten of the same canned food which was suspected of having made the others ill, and that these two boys did not become ill. The Peter Plasky family, consistingn of Peter, his wife, the son, George, and a week old baby, resided with Peter's mother, Mrs Rose Plasky, and her other sons in the Almond farm home. The Kowalski boy, a son of John Kowalski, who lives at Minnesota Avenue and Patch street in St Point, was visiting at the farm. Peter said that neither he nor his wife ate any of the canned food at the Monday night meal. Victims Nauseated - The victims of the poisoning after being stricken, became nauseated, partially paralyzed and their eyesight was impaired. They became languid as the working of the poison made them tired and weak. Although they were nauseated, they were not in pain. Raymond Plasky, the youth who died, presented a pathetic case, and after arriving at the hospital said to those who were attending him and attempting to save his life "I am so tired. Albert Plasky, oldest of the three surviving victims said from his hospital bed Wednesday afternoon that he was at a loss to explain how his mother and brothers were poisoned. Chickens, Pigs Die - Portage county authorities were informed that recently nine pigs, some chickens and livestock at the Plasky farm had died, and it is hoped to ascertain during the investigation whether they were poisoned and if they were, whether the deaths of the animals and the chickens had any connection with the poisoning of members of the fmaily. The Plasky family occupies the Mrs Fred Boness farm about two miles east of Almond village. In addition to the relatives mentioned in Wednesday's Journal, Mrs Rose Plasky is survived by a sister in Milwaukee, Mrs Roman Perlaczynski. Source - The Stevens Point Daily Journal - 27 Jul 1934 - Two victims of poisoning bured today - Three Plasky Boys are Recovering; One Leaves St Michael's hospital - Double funeral services were held at St Peter's church in St Point this morning for Mrs Rose Plasky and her son Raymond, 22, of the town of Almond, who died Tuesday, a few hours apart, in some form of poisoning the kind and origina remained unknown today. Joseph releated - Three other sons of Mrs Plasky, Joseph 17, Albert 18, and Robert 16, were also poisoned. Joseph was improved significantly so that he was able to leave St Michaels hospital Thursday. Albert and Robert are still in the hospital but are making satisfactory improvement and are recovering from the weakened condition in which they were left by the posion which went through their system. No New Developments - District Attorney Walter B Murat reported today that no new information had been obtained indivating what caused the five members of the Plasky family to become ill and two of them to die. Their illness was ascribed Tuesday to food poisoning, after it was learned that they had eaten a meal Monday evening that included pickled fish and canned June berries. Teh district attorney is awaiting a toxicological report from Milwaukee where organs of the two who died were taken Wednesday night, following the performing of two autopsies. The report will disclose the nature of the poison. In adjjoining graves - Services were held at 8:30 o'clock this morning at St Peter's church. Rev Casimir Romczyk of Belmont officiated and burial took place in St Peter's cemetery in adjoining graves. Pallbeareres for Mrs Plasky were Bernard Orikkowski, Martin Pawleski, John Woznicki, Robert Grubba, Frank Chudec, and Joseph Green. The pallbearers for her son, Raymond, were Ed Golla, Joseph Jerak, Ed Chudec, Adam Schafranski, Leo Pawleski, and Jack Greek. Source - The Stevens Point Daily Journal - 28 Jul 1934 - under Obituaries - Attend Funeral Relatives and friends from away who attended the double funeral services for Mrs Rose Plasky and her son Raymond, which were held Friday morning and whose deaths occurrred Tuesday as a result of posioning, included Mr and Mrs Joseph Barwick of Hatley; Mr and Mrs Peter Barwick, Ernest Barwick and Grace Barwich of Rothschild; Mrs Steve Wisneski of Ironwood, MI; Mr ad Mrs August Barwick, Mr and Mrs William Barwick, Ernest Barwick and Raymond Barwick of Wausau; Mr and Mrs Roman Perlaczynski and three daughters, and Roman Brooks of Milwaukee; Mr and Mrs Barney Plasky, Miss Tessie Edwards and Miss Nettie Edwards of Junction City; Mrs Stella Baker of Chicago; Mr and Mrs Strike, John Marchel, Mr and Mrs Frank Plasky and Mrs Felix Plasky of Jordan. Source - The Stevens Point Daily Journal - 31 Jul 1934 Almond Deaths are Traced to Spoiled Food - Victims Afflicted by Ailment Known as Botulism report discloses (front page) On the basis of a preliminary report - Portage County Authorities announced today that the deaths of Mrs Rose Plasky and son, Raymond, 22, of the town of Almond, and the illness suffered by three other sons, Albert, Joseph, and Robert, were undoubtedly the result of eating home-canned fish. Skipped analysis stuff Other causes eliminated - The investigation was undertaken to clear up any suspicion that some unknown persons might have poisoned the food eaten by the family. The report establishes that such was not the case. +++++ On-line sources to check: Stevens Point Area Obituary Index http://library.uwsp.edu/Obits Cemetery records at: http://library.uwsp.edu/cemetery/ Census records at: http://library.uwsp.edu/census/ Portage County Historical Society http://www.pchswi.org/index.htm Portage County Courthouse: http://www.co.portage.wi.us/ UW-St Point Archives http://library.uwsp.edu/depts/gen/genealog.htm#ARCHIVES Recent obits can be obtained from WI Newpapers On-line - http://www.wisinfo.com/ I am not related to nor have any additional information on these surnames. If there is a question of error in this transcription, please consult the original documents. R/S MAK http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiportag