Quizzed in Ohio death probe

I have been lucky twice now to score on eBay old press photos relating to the murders: the photo of David Puskin which I primarily use, and now this photo of Dr. S. [sic] Shindel Wingert.

Dr. H. Shindel Wingert

The caption pasted on the back of the photo reads:

With the deaths of two students at the Ohio State University, supposedly from strychnine poisoning, and the illness of at least three others, after partaking of capsules for cold cure, issued from the pharmacy colle(g)e dispensary, university and police officials are engaged in a vigorous investigation. Because of the baffling manner in which only a certain number of the capsules have been found to contain poison out of the bottle supposedly containing nothing but capsules of quinine, has led the authorities to believe the strychnine was administered intentionally. The medicine was issued to students upon prescriptio(n) from Dr. S. [sic] Shindel Wingert, head of the University health services.

Poor Dr. Harry Shindel Wingert apparently never recovered from the scandal. He went on leave after a breakdown in 1926. He returned to OSU in 1928 but died within two months. He was buried in Lancaster Cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

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The son who isn't quite all here

Charles Henry Huls

Logan, Ohio

January 31, 1925

    Dear Folks:

    Just a few hospital notes from the son who isn't quite all here. I lost a tooth since I wrote to you last. An abscess had formed at the root of the gold crown in the lower jaw and I had an X-Ray taken and then the tooth was pulled. It certainly was arelief [sic] to get [rid, sic] that pain and get a nights rest.

    I didn't go to bed either Wednesday or Thursday nights and all I've had to eat since Thursday noon is tomato soup and milk toast. Went over to see Dr. Wingert again this morning and he gave me a dose of salts and some capsules and told me to go home and stay in bed today. Took the medicine at noon and was going to say that up until 5 there had been no action but it came just as I finished the sentence. Really I don't see where there will be much good done as I haven't exactly eater [sic] for over two days.

    Besides having the tooth raising cain I blistered the whole inside of my mouth with camphor and toothache drops and it just finished peeling this afternoon. And then I burned a blister on the outside of my chin with the electric light bulb. It's funny but the tooth hurst [sic] so much that I didn't feel it when I cooked the other parts. I hd [sic] to get a hot water bottle.

    Dr. Love, the dentist who pulled the tooth said it never should never have been crowned. He said the abscess had started over a year ago. Said it was getting dangerous and would have caused very serious trouble if it had been neglected any longer. The X-Ray showed the sac extending over to the roots of the adjoining teeth and when I saw the tooth I wondered how the sac ever came out the same hole.*

*typed on letterhead

Charley's last unmailed letter home ends here. 

It was found after his death.

(I thought there was another page but I cannot find it at this time.)

Charley's convulsions started about 8 p.m.

He was dead by 10:30 p.m.

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Prescription for death

Buerki

I've got some new theories to pursue. Dr. Robert Buerki, professor emeritus at The Ohio State University, wrote about the poisonings for his paper, Prescription for Death: The 1925 Ohio State Poisoning Case, which he presented at the annual meeting for The Ohio Academy of Medical History in 2012. Unable to read it in its entirety until now, I was thrilled to discover it was published in the History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals, Vol. 64, Issue 1, on Jan. 1, 2022. 

While most of his 15-page paper was a summary of previously resourced materials, Buerki did have access to some new information.

"On June 3, Governor Donahey forwarded to Ford an unsigned letter that he had received from 'some unknown source.' The letter added a bizarre note of conspiracy to an already tangled web of circumstances:

'If you really want to know the true inwardness of the poisoning at the University, put your best secret service man on the track of the first student who was taken sick. He can tell you much if he will. Why was he taken to St. Francis Hospital instead of the University Hospital? Why was Dr. McCampbell called about the case? The plot was against one man but it hit the wrong man. Who wanted a safe from the dental department "to keep all the strichnine [sic] in?"

'Who has been after Dr. Wingert for years and says he will drive him off campus? The fear of punishment for unintentional murder is keeping mouths closed, but it can be traced.

'The pressure is now on to let the matter drop 'because it will injure the University.' The inside facts can only injure the plotters. You are surrounded by athletic influences. Consult some others not under their control."

Ross

So is this "unknown source" referring to Robert H. Ross of Bellevue, Ohio? Ross became ill on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1925. He was diagnosed with food poisoning at the time and was the first to become ill according to my timeline.

McCarthy

Or is the writer talking about Timothy "Big Tim" McCarthy, a sophomore on the varsity football team who, as far as I know, was the only man rushed to St. Francis Hospital? He was also the last known person to get sick on Feb. 2, 1925.

Hmm.

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Just a few hospital notes

Charles Henry Huls

Logan, Ohio

January 31, 1925

Dear Folks:

    Just a few hospital notes from the son who isn't quite all here. I lost a tooth since I wrote to you last. An abscess had formed at the root of the gold crown in the lower jaw and I had an X-Ray taken and then the tooth was pulled. It certainly was arelief [sic] to get [rid sic] that pain and get a nights rest.

    I didn't go to bed either Wednesday or Thursday nights and all I've had to eat since Thursday noon is tomato soup and milk toast. Went over to see Dr. Wingert again this morning and he gave me a dose of salts and some capsules and told me to go home and stay in bed today. Took the medicine at noon and was going to say that up until 5 there had been no action but it came just as I finished the sentence. Really I don't see where there will be much good done as I haven't exactly eater [sic] for over two days.

    Besides having the tooth raising cain I blistered the whole inside of my mouth with camphor and toothache drops and it just finished peeling this afternoon. And then I burned a blister on the outside of my chin with the electric light bulb. It's funny but the tooth hurst [sic] so much that I didn't feel it when I cooked the other parts. I hd [sic] to get a hot water bottle.

    Dr. Love, the dentist who pulled the tooth said it never should never have been crowned. He said the abscess had started over a year ago. Said it was getting dangerous and would have caused very serious trouble if it had been neglected any longer. The X-Ray showed the sac extending over to the roots of the adjoining teeth and when I saw the tooth I wondered how the sac ever came out the same hole.*

Charley's last unmailed letter home ends here. It was found after his death. I thought there was another page but I cannot find it at this time.

Charley's convulsions started about 8 p.m. He was dead by 10:30 p.m.

*typed on letterhead

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Fear lowers the vitality

It's fascinating to go back and watch a news story develop. Two stories appeared in the Monday, Feb. 2, 1925 edition of the Lancaster (Ohio) Eagle-Gazette as the story developed.

First to be laid out was this tiny brief, way back on page 10:

Son of Eugene Huls Dies At Ohio State

    Charles Huls, 22, son of Eugene Huls, for many years State Factory Inspector and editor of the Logan Republican, died Saturday night, following the extraction of an ulcerated tooth Friday. Young Huls was a senior in the college of commerce and journalism at O. S. U. and edited the Makio in 1924.

    His death occurred at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity home where he was a member. The Huls family is very well known in Lancaster. 

Then the front page was laid out. The front page is always laid out last to make sure the latest news and updates get attention. This front page is a nightmare. It didn't stack the separate headlines like most newspapers did in 1925, but it split them down the middle. I don't care if the left is sans serif and the right is serif -- it's a mess:

Sudden Death Of Two O.S.U. Students Causes Alarm

Order Friends Of Dead Men Be Isolated

(By The Associated Press)

    COLUMBUS. Feb. 2--Further precautionary measures to prevent a possible outbreak of cerebro meningitis at Ohio State University, and where to [sic] students have died suddenly and under mysterious circumstances were taken today when Dr. H. Shindle Wingert, university physician examined six personal friend [sic] of one of the deceased students and ordered them isolated.

    Charles E. [sic] Huls of Logan died Saturday in a fraternity house, of what was thought to be tetanus. Davis [sic] Puskin of Canton, a junior in the college of journalism died suddenly yesterday after circumstances similar to those surrounding the death of Huls.

    To determine whether both students died from the same cause, local health authorities asked Logan officials to perform a post mortem over Huls. Information received here today, however is to the effect that the student's family objects to the procedure.

    In the midst of his examination of other students, Dr. Wingert issued a statement urging students "not to be scared about the present flurry. 

    "There is little to cause general eoncern," he said. "Individuals, however are urged to keep their general health at a high level, observe regular hours, keep in good physical condition and keep the face and hands scrupulously clean. Fear lowers the vitality and besides, there is not much occasion for it."

    Puskin, the second student to die arose yesterday morning, apparently in good health. He went to the bathroom to shave was seized with convlsions [sic] and died within 20 minutes.

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Poison pill probe

O. S. U. Pushes Probe of Poison Pill Deaths

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, Feb. 9, 1925

    With police officials believing that the deaths of two Ohio State University students from strychnine laden "cold pills" may have been caused by a "Leob_Leopold*" type of degenerate, and university authorities admitting that the poison may have gotten intn [sic] the dills [sic] by a terrible mistake," investigation of the deaths is being pushed. City and county authorities are seen above questioning one of the pharmacy students who worked in the college dispensary, from which the pills came. Dr. W. O. Thompson, president of the university who is directing the pribe [sic], and Dr. H. S. Wingert, who prescribed the fatal pills are also shown.

*Nathan F. Leopold, Jr., and Richard A. Loeb, were two wealthy students at the University of Chicago who in May 1924 kidnapped and murdered Loeb's cousin, 14-year-old Bobby Franks, in Chicago, Illinois in an attempt to create the "perfect crime."

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A bitter pill to swallow

One of the most interesting newspaper clippings* I found in my stash is this one. Reading it, I can't help but wonder who wrote it and where it came from. Did it bitterly amuse someone? Did great-grandpa Gene write it and publish it in his newspaper?

It took some research but I believe it was in response to news I found on the front page May 19, 1925 issue of The Lantern:

MAY COLLECT $6 FEE FOR MEDICAL SERVICE

    The Columbus Academy of Medicine last night endorsed a plan to install a new system of health supervision and medical service for Ohio State University, whereby $6 would be collected from each student to pay for all medical treatment.

    The amount of money obtained through such a fee would be about $60,000.

    At the present time a committee of the faculty of the College of Medicine is investigating the subject with the view of making a report to the President and Board of Trustees, Dean E.F. McCampbell said today.

    Dr. H. Shindle Wingert said he knew nothing of the project, but that in formulating his working policy he has tried to avoid anything that resembles state medicine, health insurance, or paternalism.

Ironically, just below that was this news:

New Four-year Course to Be Given in Pharmacy

    The College of Pharmacy, beginning next fall, will offer a non-optional four-year course in the place of the two and three-year courses now being offered.

    The change was decided upon at a recent meeting of the Board of Trustees.

    The purpose of the new plan is to raise the standards of the college and put pharmacy on the level with other lines of education, Dean Clair A. Dye said.

 *Please always identify newspaper clippings with the name and date.

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Hysteria

Robert Ross

Ohio State University and Ohio health officials took a harder look at other illnesses now that three known students had either become mysteriously ill or died.

Robert Ross, a freshman from Bellevue, Ohio became ill on Tuesday, January 27, 1925. He was diagnosed with food poisoning at the time.

"I took the capsules as directed and later in the evening went to the university gymnasium to play basketball," Ross said according to a Feb. 7, 1925 article in the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. "I began to feel sick and then shortly thereafter I became dizzy. I started vomiting. My body became stiff and other students assisted me to my home."

Timothy J. McCarthy

Timothy J. McCarthy of Fremont, Ohio, a sophomore in the college of Commerce and Journalism, became suddenly ill the previous Thursday, Jan. 29, 1925. He too had a cold and a prescription for R&Ws, but he was diagnosed with "hysteria." His remaining capsules were later examined and all but one were as prescribed. The other contained strychnine. According to family stories, I believe it was Timothy who later entertained friends by sticking pin and needles into his now nerveless fingers.

Harold E. Gillig, a sophomore from Tiffin or Toledo, was diagnosed with indigestion or hysteria.

Edward A. Byron, a freshman from Cincinnati, also became ill.

But why no women? Male students were seen by Dr. Harry Shindel Wingert, Director of Student Health Services. Wingert prescribed R&Ws seventy-eight times in January. Female students were seen by a woman doctor who did not prescribe R&Ws.

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*Deceased January 31, 1925

The OSU dispensary in the early 1900s.

The last week of January 1925 was not starting well for Charley Huls. It was his second to last quarter* at The Ohio State University where he was scheduled to graduate in June with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Journalism. He was the epitome of the Big Man on Campus at OSU.

According to the 1925 Makio yearbook, Charley was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, Sphinx, Bucket and Dipper, Sigma Delta Chi, Pi Delta Epsilon, Boost Ohio, editor of the 1924 Makio yearbook (Grandpa was editor of the 1926 Makio), News Editor of the Lantern newspaper, business manager of the Phoenix, Makio board, Junior Prom committee, band, and Senior Invitation Committee.

It also states, "*Deceased January 31, 1925".

By Friday, Charley couldn't stand it anymore and went to went to the college of dentistry and had the troublesome tooth pulled. On Saturday he went to Dr. H. Shindle Wingert at the student health center for a prescription of "R&Ws" -- red and white capsules available at the student dispensary that were filled with aspirin (red) and quinine (white) -- the house cold medicine, so to speak. Students were supposed to alternate red or white capsules every few hours.

An unmailed letter Charley wrote home the day of his death was found afterwards. In it he complained to his mother, Anna Rebecca Troxel Huls, that he had been holding a light bulb against his jaw for the heat. He said the heat helped. He also mentioned his cold and his plans to take medicine before dinner because he had a date.

(Charley was allegedly engaged to Margaret Speaks, daughter of Rep. John C. Speaks of Ohio, and the future Voice of Firestone.)

According to Grandpa and newspaper accounts, Charley told Grandpa he could borrow their car if he'd drop Charley off somewhere for his date. They were heading to the car after eating their dinners when Charley collapsed. Their Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers carried Charley up to the room they shared where it quickly became apparent that something was seriously wrong. A doctor and the stricken man's parents were summoned.

Charley was going into horrible spasms. The fraternity brothers gathered in the hallway began to wonder if Charley had lockjaw.

Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection characterized by muscle spasms that begin in the jaw and progress throughout the body. Some spasms can break bones. About ten percent of cases prove fatal. The first tetanus vaccine was first produced in 1924, but that didn't help Charley.

Things were looking grim for Charley and Grandpa was feeling sick himself. He went into their bathroom and took out one of the "R&W" pills. Before he could take it, the doctor called for him to return.

Grandpa placed the white capsule on the marble windowsill where it sat until he returned to OSU after the funeral.

That decision saved his life.

*OSU did not switch to the semester system until 2012.

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