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Author: HuntingtonV
Surnames: Spease, Speice, Yarger, Alspach
Classification: obituary
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obit "Huntington Herald" Friday, Sept 9, 1887 edition, p1, c2, Huntington,
Indiana
-----Elias Spease, an old man over seventy years of age, residing east of the city between
the railroad bridges, died Tuesday evening. He was one of the men who helped to grade the
Wabash railway, and had resided in this county thirty-three years.
_____________________________________
obit Sept 8, 1888, page 8, col 4, "The Daily Democrat", Huntington, Indiana
Mrs Elizabeth Speice, (Elizabeth Yarger) a widow 69 years of age, living just outside the
western limits of the city, died on Friday, from dropsy. Her husband died a year ago
today. Deceased was born In Pennsylvania. The funeral will occur Sunday at noon, at the
house. The interment will be at Mt Hope.
__________________________
obit Tuesday, Oct 20, 1931 "The Amarillo Globe", Amarillo, Texas
Wife Is Dead, Husband Dying, Doctors Fear
Mrs Alspach is Victim
Autopsy Being Performed May Reveal Cause Of Strange Illness
Mrs Mary E. Alspach, 56, of Borger, died at 7 o'clock this morning at Northwest Texas
Hospital of some mysterious cause, and her husband, A.B. Alspach, general supervisor of
production of the Prairie Oil and Gas Company, was believed to be slowly dying from the
same malady. He was growing weaker at 1 o'clock this afternoon and little chance is
held for his recovery. An autopsy was held this morning by a group of eight local
physicians to determine the cause of Mrs Alspach's death. The autopsy was ordered
when Mr Alspach became suddenly ill at his wife's bedside. It will be 24 hours before
a report on the chemical analysis of Mrs Alspach's viscera is received, and physicians
fear the result learned will be too late to aid in combatting the malady to Mr
Alspach's case.
Mrs Alspach was taken ill Sunday at her home in Borger, but her condition was not
considered serious. Later, however, her tongue began swelling and Dr. B.F. Clutter, of
Borger, the attending physician, ordered an ambulance and rushed her to the local hospital
at 3 o'clock Monday morning. Alspach was soon taken with the same symptoms and was
placed under care of hospital attendants just two hours prior to his wife's death.
Dr. R.A. Duncan, one of the attending physicians, expressed the belief the malody may be
arsenic poisoning. He said that Alspach was growing gradually weaker. He stated that both
Alspach and his wife had registered a fast pulse but no temperature. Mrs Alspach remained
conscious until shortly before her death. Alspach was slowly losing consciousness shortly
after noon today, hospital attendants said. The fact that a chemical analysis of Mrs
Alspach's viscara would not be available until some time tomorrow might be too late to
save Alspach's life. The!
malady was described as being rare. The Alspachs had returned to Borger about two weeks
ago from a vacation, in the west. During the trip, Borger friends of the couple received
word that Mrs Alspach was ill. Upon her recovery they returned to Borger. They had
experienced a similar illness on several former occasions, it was said.
Before being stricken with the illness, Alspach told hospital authorities that he and Mrs
Alspach had eaten some imported sausage Sunday, together with some canned foods. Borger
health authorities today had gathered all remaining foods in the Alspach home and began to
make an analysis. The Alspachs moved to Borger in January, 1927. They were prominent in
the social life of that city. There are no children. Little is known here of the
relatives of either. However, Mrs Alspach is said to have two brothers living in
Oklahoma, one an employee of the Prairie Oil and Gas Company. The Griggs Funeral Home has
charge of Mrs Alspach's body. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Warren, Huntington
Co, Indiana.
___________________________________________
article Wednesday, October 21, 1931, page 1, "The Amarillo Globe", Amarillo,
Potter Co, Texas
Hope Is Waning For Victim of Strange Malady
The second victim of a mysterious poisoning malady which physicians fear may be botulism,
a rare disease possessing a high mortality rate, lies near death at Northwest Texas
Hospital. Attendants say he is gradually growing weaker and slight chance is seen for his
recovery.
The victim is A.B. Alspach, 60 year old official of the Prairie Oil and Gas Company at
Borger. The disease, which is slowly tightening its grip upon his system, yesterday
proved fatal to his wife, Mrs Mary E. Alspach, 56, following a sudden attack of the malady
at the family home in Borger. An autopsy was performed yesterday on Mrs Alspach's
body by seven Amarillo and Borger physicians, and a report on the chemical analysis will
be known tonight, Terrell laboratory officials said. Although we believe the malady to be
botulism, said Dr. R. A. Duncan, one of the attending physicians, we cannot be positive of
the diagnosis until the laboratory has announced its findings. We have an anti-toxin
ready to administer if our present diagnosis is correct, but it may be too late now. If
the illness is caused by botulism, it was probably caused from eating home canned foods,
the physician said. Neighbors of the Alspachs in Borger have been warned, doctors fearing
that some of the !
food might have been eaten by others. At the Northwest Texas Hospital attendants said
that Alspach's tongue was swollen and paralyzed as were the throat organs. He was
conscious at 1 o'clock, but considerably weaker, it was said.
According to Dr Draper of Borger, the botulism germ, bacillus botulinus, more often
appears in meats but it can be found in water. The germ was definitely isolated in 1896
by a German scientist and was identified as the cause of many deaths resulting from
persons eating sausages. Before being stricken with the malady, Alspach told local health
authorities that he and his wife had eaten imported sausage for Sunday dinner. Botulism
attacks the motor cells of the body, causing paralysis, swelling, and causes the victims
to see double. In the case of both Alspach's it attacked the muscles of the tongue
and neck. When Mrs Alspach first became ill, physicians of Borger and Amarillo were
mystified at the rare and dangerous symptoms. When she became violently ill she was
rushed to the Northwest Texas Hospital in an ambulance. She succumbed at 7 o'clock
yesterday morning. Mr Alspach was stricken just a short time before his wife's death.
The Alspach's had no children. Both were prominent citizens of Borger and were widely
known in oil circles of the Southwest. J.A. Alspach, of Kieffer, Okla., a brother of the
stricken man, arrived in Amarillo today. Mrs Alspach is survived by two sisters, Mrs John
Hyde, of Ohio, and Mrs Nelly Porter, of South Dakota. No funeral arrangement have been
made. The body is in charge of the Griggs chapel.
__________________________________________
obit Thursday, Oct 22, 1931, "The Amarillo Globe", Amarillo, Potter Co, Texas
A.B. Alspach Dies Today At City Hospital
Much of the same info as stated in article above...............plus...
Surviving Mr Alspach are three brothers, John A. Alspach, of Kiefer, Okla., Clyde Alspach,
of Avant, Okla., and Floyd Alspach, of Dupo, Illinois. Mrs Alspach is survived by two
sisters, Mrs. O.E. Harper, of Hot Springs, SD, and Mrs John Hyde, of Wayne, WV. C.N.
Ochitree, of 2115 Van Buren Street, is a cousin of Mr Alspach. Bodies were both sent to
Warren, Indiana, the old home place, for services and burial. Burial at Woodlawn
Cemetery, Warren, Indiana.
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