Ohio Families

1880 Census 18th Ward, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Series T9, Roll 1008, Page 257C
ED 52, sheet 257C
2 June 1880
at 2581 Atwater Street [became East 49th after 1906]

Guarnieri, Nicholas, 34, born in Italy, parents also, works in iron mill, out of work 1 month this past year
Guarnieri, Jane, 30, born in Italy, parents also, cannot read or write
Guarnieri, Mary, 11, born in Italy, parents also, attended school
Guarnieri, Victory R., 7, born in Italy, parents also, attended school
Guarnieri, Nicholas, 3, born in Ohio, parents in Italy
Guarnieri, Jane, 2 months, born in April, born in Ohio, parents in Italy
Guarnieri, Tony, Father, 51, (age was in parentheses), widowed, born in Italy, parents also, no occupation

I didn't find a death record or burial location for her. She is not in the Cleveland Catholic Cemetery Index, or Cleveland City Cemetery Index. She is not in the Cleveland Public Library news and necrology index as Guarnieri or Guarniere. I looked at ancestry.com and familysearch for Angela Guarnieri, died 1882 exact, in Akron or adjacent counties.

 

The librarian who sent this article to me couldn’t find a followup notice for funeral arrangements.
---------------------
Akron Beacon Journal, January 9, 1882, page 4, column 2

A Fatal Mistake

Death of a woman from taking the wrong kind of medicine furnished her

A very sad and sudden death resulted from taking poison by mistake, was that of the wife of Nicola Guarnieri, the Italian who owns the peanut stands on Howard and Market streets, at the family residence No 182 North Howard street, about 8:45 o'clock this morning. The circumstances attending her death as learned from the attending physician, are substantially these: Mrs Guarnieri was about to be confined and at 8 o'clock this morning sent her husband to the drug store to obtain some "oil of sweet almonds." Mr Guarnieri went to W P Davis' drug store, North Howard street, and asked for "oil of sweet ammon" (almonds). The young man in attndance put up half an ounce of "oil of bitter almonds," familiarly known as prussic acid, which contains hydrocyanic acid, the deadliest poison known.

The medicine was given to Mr G in a half ounce vial on which was placed Mr Davis' label, bearing the inscription, "Oil of Almons." There was nothing to indicate the poisonous nature of the contents, the "poison label" being left off, the penalty for which is a fine from $20 to $200.

After procuring the drug Mr Guarnieri returned home and handed the bottle to his wife. She took about half of the half ounce, spitting most of it out, as she discovered from the taste that it was not what she wanted. She swallowed probably two drachms, which caused a burning sensation from her mouth to the stomach. Her husband ran for a doctor, but by the time they returned she was dead, there being no pulse and her heart having ceased to beat. The unfortunate woman died in less than half an hour after taking the poison.

Hydrocyanic acid, the principal ingredient of oil of bitter almonds, is the strongest poison known, and for which there is no antidote. It is rapidly absorbed by the blood and produces death from three to five minutes. A drop will kill a dog almost instantly.

Mr Davis was called upon by a Beacon reporter, and stated that, if the drug was obtained at his store at about 8 o'clock, it was bought before he had come down street, as he was not there until about 8:30 o'clock. Mr Joe Ebright, his clerk, was not at the store until after 8 o'clock. Mr Forester J Forster, who sold the drug, is not in the employ of Mr Davis, but on account of Mr Ebright's ill-health, opens up the store and attends to other matters for Mr Ebright. Mr Forster's statement is about as follows: When Mr Guarnieri asked for the drug, he (Forster) supposed he wanted it for flavoring. He asked him what he wanted it for. He was unable to understand Mr G as he does not speak English well, and so he (Forster) handed him (G) the bottle. Mr G smelt of it, and said that was what he wanted. On the strength of that Forster sold him the poison.

The only thing, according to his statement, for which Forster can be censured is, that he neglected to place a "poison label" on the bottle.