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One-hundred thirty years ago in 1893, an interesting case took over headlines in local papers, including this headline and article taken directly from the Youngstown Vindicator:
"Poisoned. A mysterious case in Trumbull County. A whole family may perish. One man passes away in agony, a thorough investigation -- was it a crime?
"Near Phalanx, Trumbull County, Preston Osmer, his wife and two of their children, and a man named Heintzelman, an uncle of Mrs. Osmer, were poisoned at the supper table a few evenings ago by some ingredient that had been mixed with their coffee.
"Heintzelman died Tuesday night in great agony, and Osmer and his wife cannot recover. The condition of the children is critical, but hopes are entertained for their recovery.
"A carpenter who boarded with the Osmer family and two of the smaller children fortunately did not drink the poisonous coffee. The affair is shrouded in mystery.
"The first symptoms of sickness were noticeable one week ago Sunday morning, and the cast cases were on the following Monday. After the first severe sickness, there was considerable improvement in the condition of the patients, but within the last few days, the adults have grown rapidly worse.
"Citizens of that community are inclined to criticize local authorities because a particular investigation was not promptly made, and that the matter was not given the attention that its seriousness warranted. It is charged that no one had the little nerve necessary to take responsibility for getting an investigation underway.
"With the death of Mr. Heintzelman, something decisive became necessary and Township Clerk Harshman was in Warren at 6 o'clock yesterday morning to report matters to Prosecutor Sullivan and Coroner Williams. The latter officials left for Southington and will thoroughly inquire into the cause of Heintzelman's death.
"Samples of the well water will be taken and it is possible that the man's stomach will be removed for analysis."
On June 23, 1893, the Western Reserve Democrat, a newspaper published in Warren, published the following additional information:
"It was learned by the coroner that the cause of the sickness was traced directly to a dish of codfish that had been served for dinner on the day preceding the attack. Mrs. Osmer says that she obtained the codfish at Weaver Bros. in Warren, and that when she prepared it for dinner, she noticed that there were green spots through it.
"The coroner obtained a piece of the fish and no trace of foreign substance is visible to the eye.
"The symptoms, says the coroner, were similar to those following the taking of rough on the rats, but at least two other physicians who visited the place and made at least a partial examination hold that arsenic was the drug that caused Heintzelman's death.
"The only clue obtained by the coroner was in a report that reached him while on the premises that six years ago, Mrs. Osmer attempted to poison herself and one child, but was frustrated by the prompt arrival of a doctor."
Further research shows that Mrs. Laura Ann Osmer ("Osborn" in several sources) passed away from the poison on June 30, 1893, while Mr. Osmer (also listed as "Osborn" in several sources) lived until 1925. He married Jane Vesy in 1896.
-- Compiled from the Youngstown Vindicator by Traci Manning, Mahoning Valley Historical Society curator of education.