Little Russell Wadlington Dies After Drinking Tincture of Iodine
Bright Three-Year-Old Succumbs Despite Efforts of Mesa and Tempe Physicians
A brief, sorrowful account of a toddler's accidental poisoning death in Mesa in 1897 — an ordinary tragedy of the kind local papers of the era recorded with real tenderness, long since lost to history.
NewsPipe summary
Mesa Free Press · November 26, 1897 · Page 1
1 min readMESA
A sad accident occurred last Friday afternoon which resulted Saturday in the death of Russell William, the bright little three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. William Wadlington. The little fellow was playing in the yard, and finding a bottle of tincture of iodine, drank some of it, and it is supposed that in some way he inhaled some of it into his lungs. The physicians of Mesa and Tempe were summoned and were constantly in attendance upon the little sufferer, and everything that medical skill could do was done, but of no avail. Russell was a bright little fellow, the idol of his parents and a favorite with all who knew him. The blow was a severe one to his parents. The mother was prostrated and for a time her life was despaired of. During the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Wadlington in Mesa they have won a host of warm friends who sympathize deeply with them in their great sorrow. The funeral took place Sunday, the interment taking place in Phoenix.
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