A Truly Awful Way to Die

Most of us have heard the story of how Socrates chose death by hemlock after being convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens and impiety to the Gods of the City. Okay, what he really said when he was asked to name his own punishment was that he deserved a wage paid by the government and free dinners for the rest of his life, to finance the time he spent as Athens' benefactor. The hemlock beverage was the choice of the court. I can't help thinking he might have been more resistant to the hemlock if he been offered the native North American water hemlock. 

The plants are from the same family and look somewhat alike, but the New World plant has no helpful numbing effect; it is a truly awful way to die. The spotted water hemlock, pictured in full bloom above, was well known to Native Americans. Diluted amounts of the plant were used to treat bruising and reduce swelling. It was used internally for suicide rituals. Wow! Who wakes up and decides they want to commit suicide by enduring two hours of agony?

Its toxin, called cicutoxin, can cause delirium, nausea, convulsions, abdominal pain, seizures, and vomiting within 60 minutes of ingestion and, within two hours, a final convulsion ending in death. All parts of water hemlock are toxic, but the poison is especially virulent from the roots. The lower stem and upper roots of Cicuta contain numerous internal partitions or air spaces that can be revealed if sliced lengthwise. Would-be natural food gourmets are well-advised to avoid parsley-like plants with this combination of leaflet and root characteristics.

True to its common name, water hemlock occurs primarily on wet soils associated with ditches, stream banks, pond margins, and marshes. It can be found in every part of North America except the island of Newfoundland. There is a secondary concern because birds are seemingly immune to the toxin. Waterbirds often eat the corky, rounded fruits of water hemlock without ill effect, though anecdotal reports suggest that humans who eat these birds can be sickened by the toxins in their flesh.  That sounds like an excellent reason to avoid waterfowl during the fruiting season. 

So why am I discussing spotted water hemlock...? Well, I spend a lot of time thinking up ways to kill people. This seems like an evil way to commit murder.  There is no minimum dose for this poison. It is deadly to all mammals. Ingesting a walnut-sized amount of spotted water hemlock, also known as cowbane, can kill a 1200 pound bull. While even tiny amounts of spotted water hemlock can be deadly, consumption does not always result in death. Nobody knows why, but sometimes people survive with immediate dosing of various barbiturates and benzodiazepines. However, it is unlikely that anyone would have barbiturates or benzodiazepines on hand. If they did, there is still no guarantee that they would work.

Cornelia grew up on a farm. She would be familiar with cowbane, and probably had to make sure the livestock was not accidentally poisoned by the plant. A single plant mowed into a bale of hay would be deadly. Fortunately, we mystery writers kill people, not animals. I have my poison. I've picked out the setting. Now all I need is a victim who richly deserves a horrid death. Do you know anyone wicked enough to deserve two hours of agony followed by death? They opened a lovely spa here in Safety Harbor in 1925.

Remembering Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton was born on April 24, 1940, in Louisville, Kentucky. Grafton followed her father's advice and moved west to write for Hollywood, and had some success, but the publication of her first Kinsey Millhone novel, A is for Alibi, made her a best-selling author. Her alphabet series is loved by millions, translated into 26 languages, and earned her numerous accolades.

She often claimed that Kinsey was a younger, skinnier version of herself. I've always thought she was more of a younger sister than a true reflection of the author. Kinsey lacked Sue's Kentucky roots, that Southern iron benevolence softened by the lilt of an accent that is pure Kentucky. She has always been very generous in being honest in her advice to writers. I feel very fortunate to have been one of the writers she cautioned to slow down and spend time and attention on learning to write.

One of my most treasured possessions is the three-page letter I received from Sue Grafton after she read the first fifty pages of my manuscript for Circle of Dishonor. It was not entirely flattering. It wasn't intended to be. Grafton took writing seriously and had generously offered to read and critique my work. She returned those fifty pages with editorial marks and comments. Her letter was one Kentucky mystery writer giving advice to another. I took the advice seriously. She showed me how to critically read my own manuscript. I made a number of changes to those fifty pages and used her examples to improve the rest of my book. I am indebted to her for making my work better.

In 2017 the headline read: "Famed  writer Sue Grafton loses battle against cancer."  I cried. I am sure a lot of other readers and writers cried. She was 77 years old and little sister Kinsey was one letter short of a complete alphabet. Her last case, Z is for Zero, will never be finished.

The Great Paradox of Herbert Hoover

 

This is Herbert Hoover, in full Herbert Clark Hoover, (born August 10, 1874, West Branch, Iowa, U.S and died October 20, 1964, New York, New York), 31st president of the United States (1929–33). Most Americans think of President Herbert Hoover in relation to the Great Depression. His administration failed in its attempts to alleviate widespread joblessness, homelessness, and hunger in America during the early years of the Great Depression. Which is sad, because Hoover’s rise to the presidency was a direct result of his humanitarian work during and after World War I as he rescued millions of Europeans from starvation. 

I was thinking about this paradox in relation to our Three Snowbirds series. In France, the ladies would have seen firsthand and also had great pride in the incredible effort ordinary Americans put into alleviating hunger in occupied Belgium and France. Herbert Hoover created the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB) to help the victims of famine. At the time of the CRB's foundation, the United States had not yet entered the war, and Hoover was viewed as a neutral negotiator. As a result, he was personally able to deal with the English, French, and German governments, so that the CRB could bring aid to the famished citizens.

Food relief was essential, because 10 million Belgians and French were dependent on it during the four years of German occupation. The first ship to deliver goods to the Belgians carried 1,018 tons of wheat, rice, beans, and peas. Close to 2,500 other ships took 5 million tons of food to the innocent civilians. By working together, Hoover and prominent Belgian officials ensured that the acquired food was given directly to the citizens of the starving areas.

Even after the United States entered the war in 1917, Hoover still helped combat hunger. As the appointed head of the United States Food Administration (USFA), he encouraged Americans to conserve food. Through these efforts, there would be enough to send to Europeans in need. Once the war ended, he continued to help arrange relief as head of the American Relief Administration for all of the European countries, as well as defeated Germany and the other Central Powers. In this capacity, Hoover enabled 6 million tons of food to be sent to just about every European country.

Herbert Hoover is credited with saving close to 10 million lives in this region —about 2 million in northern France, and approximately 7 million Belgians. Belgians continue to honor him. On December 4, 1922, Belgian Senator Lejeune presented a statue of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of Life, to Hoover at the Stanford Art Gallery. In 1939, it was relocated to his hometown of West Branch, Iowa. Today, a Belgian museum is hosting an exhibit called “Remembering Herbert Hoover," portraying him as the "Great Humanitarian" and showing how he and the CRB helped them at such a critical time.

The Great Depression hasn't hit our Snowbirds yet. To Cornelia and Teddy, Hoover is one of America's greatest humanitarians. This is the reputation that led to his election as America's 31st president. Unfortunately, he was sworn in just a few short months before the bottom fell out of the New York Stock Exchange, plunging us into economic crisis. The organizational and logistical skills that made him a hero to millions failed to help him at home. He was strongly opposed to government "handouts" and called on business people to keep Americans employed, and he asked the American people to tighten their belts and make do in the spirit of “rugged individualism.” While Hoover’s philosophy and his appeal to the country were very much in keeping with his character, it was not enough to keep the economy from plummeting further into economic chaos. As Congress and the people urged him to do more he responded that “The spread of government destroys initiative and thus destroys character.”

Hoover's political career was wrecked by the Depression and his inability to realize that, in times of crisis, the need for direct government action is essential. The organized effort that fed millions in Europe was not applied to feeding millions at home. Even though he personally took no salary as President and donated thousands to charity relief efforts every year, he was unable or unwilling to do what had to be done to bring America out of the Depression. 

I can't help wondering how this will impact our books. Do you think Cornelia will continue to believe in Hoover the humanitarian, or will she turn on him as so many others did?

Review: A Divided Loyalty by Charles Todd

Inspector Ian Rutledge is on the case again, though not the case he wanted. Rutledge is off to a difficult start. Scheduled to give evidence in another case, he is unable to go to the village of Avebury, where the body of a young woman has been found in the center of a stone circle. A reluctant Inspector Leslie is sent in his place.

When another victim is found stabbed to death and thrown into an open grave in the Shopshire village of Tern Bridge, Rutledge is sent to investigate her murder.  The victim is eventually identified as Bath schoolmistress Serena Palmer.  When a witness’s sharp eye and detailed memory put Rutledge on a trail that leads to Serena Palmer’s killer, he is quickly able to solve the murder.

Meanwhile, Inspector Brian Leslie's inquiries have not identified the killer in the Avebury case. Even the name of the victim eludes Leslie and, much to his chagrin, Rutledge. In Avebury, Rutledge finds himself bogged down in the case, needled by the ghost of Corporal Hamish McLeod, and threatened by his nemesis, Chief Superintendent Markham. Rutledge fears that he may not be able to solve the case or even add any new information to Leslie's report. It seems that every clue he discovers leads to more sadness heaped on his shoulders.

Sharp readers may guess what's coming in the final twist, but if you love history Todd doesn't disappoint.

Like many of the Inspector Rutledge books, this one delves into the shadows of the trenches. Todd's grasp of the grief that followed World War I and the devastating loss of a generation of young men across Europe makes it well worth the read. 

A New Look for the First Three Snowbirds Mystery

Thanks to Patty Henderson, the designer of our covers for Murder at the Million Dollar Pier and Ybor City Blues, we have a new look for the oldest of the Three Snowbirds Mysteries. It is great to have a look and logo for all the books in the series.