| OCR Text |
Show Slate Probing 3 Possible Poison Deaths Autopsies Schtdulcd For Two Utahns Who Ditd in Salt Lakt Seeking to determine the csuse of death of three men, believed to be victims of food poisoning, stste health officials Tuesday launched a full-dress investigation, with autopsies scheduled for Ed-ward Ed-ward Laws, 09, and hla son, Burk-ley Burk-ley Laws. 26, both of Ksnab, who died Monday night In a Salt Lake hospital. The older man died Monday at 9:30 p.m. and his son died 13 minutes min-utes later at the hospital where they had been taken for special Ised treatment following the death Thursday In Ksnsb of Russel Brooksley, 24, Fredonla. Aris., son-in-law of Edward Laws. - Dr. M. M. Wlntrobe, head of the department of medicine at the University of Utah, who had been attending the two men since their arrival in Salt Lake City, said the family had given permission for the post-mortem examinations, which would likely be conducted Tuesdsy. Results Delay Results of the pathological tests, however, will not be available for several days,. Dr. Wlntrobe explained. ex-plained. Dr. Wlntrobe said cause of desth was not definite, but it was likely the two men had died of botulism (food poisoning), as their symptoms, symp-toms, double vision and difficulty in speaking and swallowing, pointed point-ed to that conclusion. Dr. William M. McKay, state health commissioner, said Tuesday that all facilities of . Ms department depart-ment would be available in the investigation, in-vestigation, and that the U. S. Public Health service also has offered of-fered its services In." 'investigating the deaths. Meanwhile he had dispatched Dr. Roy H, Wilson, district health, officer at Richfield, to Kanab to assist Dr. F. H. Covington, Kanab physician. In an Investigation there which will attempt to trace cause of the deaths. . Dr. Covington, who called the state health department into the probe Saturday, said the three men had been drinking together on Dec. 22 and six or seven hours later Mr. Brooksley complained of stomach pains, becoming se-riously se-riously HI the following morning. Poisoning Symptoms Mr. Laws and hla son also became be-came 111 following the party and were treated for diplopia (double vision) and difficulty in apeaklng and swallowing, all symptoms of botulism or food poisoning, Dr. McKsy said. It was at first believed the three men may have been poisoned by liquor they had been drinking, but analysis of a sample Saturday by Elmer Christensen. state chemist, showed it to be free of contamination. contamina-tion. - Spinal fluid taken from Mr. Brooksley also was negative under analysis, but test of tissues will not be completed until Wednesday. Wednes-day. Dr. McKay said. Dr. Covington said . the liquor was the only food sr drink tsken exclusively by the three victims snd . thst other members of the family had eaten the aame food with no apparent 111 effects. Seal Unbroken He aald both Mr. Laws and his son said the seal on the bottle of liquor wss unbroken when they purchased it and that nothing was Bee Page 3, Column S DEATH PROBE . Centlsued front Page Oae added to ths bottle after they started to drink. Edward Laws was born March 22, 1880 In Johnson, Kans county, a son of Robert and Ellen Glover Laws. He married Orpha McAllister McAl-lister In ltlS in ths Salt Lake temple of ths Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the couple had lived in Kanab since their marriage. Mr. Laws had been employed by the national parks service for 20 years. Surviving are hla widow, three daughters, Mrs. Orsce Brooksley, Fredonia, Arts.; Janet Laws, Ksnab, and Mrs. Leona Jones, Globe, Aria., and a sister, Mrs. Mary Ellen Olosler, Kanab. Burkley Laws waa born April 23, 1920, In Kanab, a son of Edward Ed-ward and Orpha McAllister Laws. He was a graduate of Kanab high school and had served three years in the army. He married Cleo Judd June 1, 1846, who. with his mother and three sisters, survive. |
