Brothers who were, but are now with the stars

I recently found this obituary in the April 1925 issue of The Phi Gamma Delta Magazine under Fratres Qui Fuerunt Sed Nunc Ad Astra:

CHARLES H. HULS

(Ohio State '25)

Phi Gamma Delta paid a large share of the toll taken by either stupidity or criminal intent when strychnine was mixed with quinine in the college of pharmacy dispensary at Ohio State University.

One of the two student deaths caused by this fatal confusion was that of Brother Charles Henry Huls, '25.

Huls died suddenly on January 31, 1925, in the chapter-house a few days after having a tooth extracted. The cause at first was thought to be tetanus.

Another student death followed shortly and an investigation showed that strychnine had been dispensed for quinine at the college of pharmacy where many students were wont to get remedies.

Further investigation disclosed numerous sudden and serious illnesses had followed the taking of capsules from the dispensary.

For two days during the investigation, a virulent and strange malady called "spotted fever," a form of meningitis, was suspected and several Fijis, intimates of Huls, were held under constant surveillance by doctors. 

Brother Huls was one of the leaders in student activities at Ohio State. He was editor of the year book and a member of Sphinx*, Bucket and Dipper**, Pi Delta Epsilon***, Sigma Delta Chi**** and the varsity band. He was also active in chapter affairs and at the time of his death was corresponding secretary.

Ae a student, he was respected by his colleagues and professors; as a Fiji, he was beloved by his brothers; as an all around good fellow, he enjoyed large popularity.

Huls' home was in Logan and he is buried near there. Among his survivors is Brother Fred Huls, a junior at Ohio State.

*SPHINX is the oldest honorary at Ohio State University. Since 1907, SPHINX has recognized 24 exceptional senior students with membership annually.

**Bucket & Dipper is a Junior Class Honorary comprised of up to 30 members dedicated to scholarship, leadership, and service. Since its creation as a student organization in 1907, Bucket & Dipper has been ​a dedicated group of juniors at The Ohio State University. This tight-knit group is rooted in tradition surrounding the Illibuck (Illi), Mirror Lake, and local service. 

***Pi Delta Epsilon, founded in 1909 at Syracuse University, is an American honor society for student journalists. It merged with Alpha Phi Gamma(ΑΦΓ) on June 1, 1975 and became The Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ).

****Sigma Delta Chi, now known as The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University.

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Let Nothing Be Spared

I found this to be a well-written editorial on page 2 of the Thursday, Feb. 5, 1925 issue of the Ohio State Lantern:

    The discovery that what was at first thought to be an epidemic of cerebrospinal meningitis is really the work of a perverted or malicious mind relieves somewhat the fear of the student body, but places a greater responsibility upon the authorities of the University.

    If the belief of the investigators is true, that a diseased mind is responsible for the deaths of Charley Huls and David Pusken [sic] and the illness of three other students, the person who conceals that mind behind a normal exterior must be found and prosecuted for his crime.

    To admit that there is such a person in the University is no reflection upon the University. At least no sane person will misconstrue the confession.

    In such a case it is more important that the criminal, if it be a criminal, be found and prosecuted than that the University escape from the notoriety which must follow. In such a case it is not the student body alone which is in danger. The entire state would be threatened if this person were allowed to graduate or if he were somehow allowed to escape punishment.

    The Lantern demands that no one be spared in the search. The students at the University and the people of the state as a whole must be protected. They have, also, a right to know the criminal. If he be an official of the University, or if he be the most obscure student, he must be found.

    President Thompson has done the right thing by placing the investigation in the hands of the police. We should not stop with them, but should call in all the other agencies which might aid in discovery of the criminal. It not a confession of weakness or incompetency on the part of the University to do this.

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Appearing, is Fear

I find it fascinating how we seem to forget the health issues previous generations struggled against.

The Cincinnati Enquirer 

Monday, Feb. 2, 1925

(I'm looking at you anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers.)

As an example, I was confused when I was younger why my maternal grandmother lost her operatic voice after a case of strep throat. She still sang professionally, but couldn't sing opera anymore. It wasn't until it occurred to me that she did not have access to any antibiotics at that time that I finally understood.

Nowadays, when we hear the words "Spotted Fever" we tend to think of  Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a feverish disease caused by hard-shelled ticks. 

But in uncle Charley's day, the words "spotted fever" would cast fear upon a community.

According to the April 30, 2019 online edition of The Lancet, "The high fatality of the meningococcal disease epidemics observed during the 19th century meant that this disease was considered one of those with the worst prognosis, only comparable to the plague and cholera."

Yikes, no wonder the campus was in a panic.

Serum therapy helped, but it wasn't until the 1930s and 1940s when sulfa and antibiotics were developed that the widespread fear diminished. But those only worked on the bacterial versions of meningitis, not the viral. When the meningococcal vaccines began in 1969 there was widespread relief and rejoicing.

Recently however, the abuse of antibiotics has created drug-resistent varieties causing increasing incidents of sepsis. Scientists again are looking into serum-therepy as a treatment.

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I found this newspaper clipping among the photocopies I had previously made and it somehow survived. I do not know which Logan newspaper* it appeared in at this time, but I transcribe it here now since it gives an early look at the unfolding tragedy.

Funeral Services for Plague Victim

Logan Youth Stricken by Meningitis

    LOGAN, O., Feb. 3. -- On advice of Dr. W.G. Rhoten, city health commissioner, funeral services for Charles H. Huls who died in Columbus Saturday night were held privately at the home of his parents,  Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Huls on East Hunter Street Tuesday afternoon at one o'clock.

    This action was taken by the health commissioner after it was learned that the death certificate which was issued in Columbus by Dr. J.L. Gordon bore the statement that the cause of death was meningitis. A change was made in the certificate which at first stated that the death was due to tetanus, after a second death occurred and an investigation disclosed that the cause of it was "epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis." This fact caused a change to be made in the certificate.

    Dr. Rhoten was called by Dr. Beer in Columbus who suggested that an effort be made to hold a post mortem over the body of Huls. This was deemed inadvisable by the parents and the inquest was dropped. 

    Precautionary measures were taken by health officials to prevent any possibility of a contagion of the disease from spreading.

Charley's death certificate was later changed one more time to read, "Accidental Strychnine Poisoning."

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

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PURE STRYCHNINE!

In late fall or early winter 1987, my late 83-year-old grandfather wrote a letter to Benjamin Balshone, R.Ph. Balshone, who died in 1991, published at least two books that I can find, so maybe he was interested in writing a book about the strychnine killings. A registered pharmacist, he had at least some connection to the O.S.U. College of Pharmacy where there are awards named after he and his wife, and he was a board member of the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy from 1973-1977.

Part of that letter appears in The History of the College of Pharmacy at Ohio State University in  Chapter VI, simply entitled, The Poisonings.

I am publishing it here in its entirety. The mistakes Grandpa caught and corrected by hand are enclosed with (parenthesis). The mistakes I caught are enclosed with [brackets] and/or a sic. Emphasis is all his.

Dear Mr. Balshone,

Please forgive me for (not) having responded to your letter of September. I was in the hospital at the time the (letter) arrived and it became misplaced while I was not at home.

At 83 my memories sometimes become a little hazy, but I will endeavor to relate some of the events as I remember them. However I would suggest that (you) research the files of the Columbus Dispatch of that time and also the files of the Logan Republican, published by my father, A.E. Huls. Those files are on micro-film at the Ohio State Library.*

My brother and I roomed together at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house. He had been suffering from a cold and went to the University Health Service for an excuse from classes he had missed (something concerning a new (rule) about cutting classes, the details of which I can't remember). They gave him a prescription for cold capsules. It was filled by the pharmacy in the Colle(g)e of Pharmacy building.

He took one of the capsules at dinner that evening at the fraternity house. He had a date that evening and told me I could have his car if I would take him "down to the corner" which was the name for Fifteenth and High streets. As he went to get into the car is [his, sic]  legs collapsed and he could not walk. We carried him up to our room and called a doctor.

While the doctor was working on my brother, I went into the bathroom with one of the capsules, intending to take it as I also had a slight cold. Just then a fraternity brother came in saying the doctor wanted to see me. I put the capsule on (a) marble window sill and went to our room. The doctor told me my brother was dying. He was having convulsions and s(u)ffered an agonizing death.

Another student, a David Puskin of Canton, Ohio, died about the same time after having taken cold capsules from the University Pharmacy. Actual cause of the deaths was not known, but there were speculations about spinal menengitis [sic] and other similar causes of death.

The (U)niversity issued calls for the remaining capsules to be returned for a(n)alysis. Upon returning to school after my brother's funeral, I refused to turn the capsules in my possession over to the University (the capsule I had intended to take was still on the window ledge when I returned). The University found some of the capsules returned contained a trace of strychnine.

I took the capsules in my possession to Ray Hoyt, then City editor of the Columbus Dispatch and a friend of my brother. He took them to a private and independent chemist chemist [sic] and the result was PURE STRYCHNINE!

That of course broke the case wide open. Many believed it was murder. I refute this as my brother knew no one in the Pharmacy Department. It may have (been) an attempt at "wholesale slaughter' which has become so prevalent today. Personally I believe it mere carelessness on the part of students and faculty in the College of Pharmacy. Evidence given at the formal inquiry suggests this.

After a while (t)hen Go(v)ernor Vic Danahey called for an investigation of the P(h)armacy Department and he appointed the Dean to investigate the tragedy (to investigate itself).

For years I had a transcript of the hearing and investigation but it has become lost or misplaced. However I would believe an original is still on file by the State of Ohio.

The State of Ohio finally paid $10,000 to the parents of each student who died, which I believe was the standard death claim paid for industrial deaths at that time.

This has been written strictly from memory. I suggest that you review the newspaper files mention(e)d* and make inquiry as to the availability of the official report.

Sincerely,

Fred E. Huls

P.S. My typing also has slipped a little -- please excuse!

This letter shows a few errors.

• Grandpa always said Charley was murdered. Not intentionally, but randomly. It was no accident.
• Newspaper reports say Great-Grandpa Gene filed a claim for $15,000 but only received $7,500 -- as did David Puskin's father. However, Gene wrote a letter stating he received $10,000.
• I have found an R.G. Hoyt who was City Editor for the Columbus Dispatch in 1925.

*Grandpa Fred spent a considerable amount of time, money, and effort making sure the Logan Republican was on microfiche. Those films cannot be currently found.

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Star of David

David I. Puskin

Sunday, February 1, 1925, dawned. Without social media, most of the people on campus were still unaware of Charley's death the night before.

David Isaac Puskin of Canton, Ohio awoke early. He, too, had a cold and took an R&W his friend Louis Fish of Canton had kindly procured for him from the OSU dispensary before he went to shave. I'm sure it was a leisurely morning for David. The oldest child of Jewish immigrants from Russia, he had no need to rush for church services.

Not much is known about David at this time. He was shown in both the 1910 and 1920 federal censuses with his parents, Louis and Maimie Pushkin (spellings vary: Puskin, Pusken, Pushkin), and younger siblings: Abraham, Ethel, and Harry. He was apparently a football star in Canton, but not at OSU where he was currently a junior.

I'm still not sure if David was in a boarding house or another fraternity (newspaper sources differ) but another person in the house heard strange sounds emanating from the bathroom. When they went to investigate, David was found thrashing on the floor. His death was quicker but not any more merciful. David was 21.

David's death was initially attributed to meningitis, also known as the dreaded and contagious spotted fever.

I don't know if there was an autopsy or not, but David's death certificate states meningitis as the cause of death -- but with "accidental strychnine poisoning" as a contributor.

Those were the early theories: Charley died from tetanus and David died from meningitis. The campus was in a frenzy by Monday, but the students weren't safe yet.

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