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The Jackson Weekly Citizen
Tuesday, 3 May, 1870

         A sad occurrence took place on the 5th inst., in the
       family of PHILO TRACY, who resides in the township of 
       Argentine, Shiawassee (*sic) county. The family were 
       reduced to extreme want, and, driven by hunger, four 
       children sallied out to  seek food, and all ate gree-
       dily of the bulbs of what trappers call "muskrat root," 
       which they dug in the marsh. This, though sweet to the 
       taste, is a deadly poison. Two of the children were 
       immediately seized with terrible convulsions, which 
       caused the blood to flow from their ears, mouth, nose 
       and eyes, terminating in death in about three hours. A 
       lady present at the administered to the other two large
       doses of melted lard, which acting as an emetic, saved
       them, although they were in a critical condition for
       some time.
       
       (Transcriber's Note: Argentine Township is in Genesee
        county, not Shiawassee as reported above. The two
        deceased children's names, per the 1870 Census
        Mortality Schedule of Genesee Co., MI., were CALVIN M.,
        age 11, and HANNAH, age 9.)
        
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The Grand Rapids Eagle
Saturday, 23 April, 1870

         A sad occurrence took place on the 5th inst., in the
       family of PHILO TRACY, who resides in the township of
       Argentine. TRACY, himself, being one of those lazy,
       drunken vagabonds, that disgrace the human form, had
       for a long while totally neglected his family - and
       his wife being confined to her bed by sickness was un-
       able to procure food for herself or children - The
       family were reduced to extreme want, and driven by
       hunger, four children sallied out to seek food, and
       all ate greedily of the bulbs of what trappers call 
       "muskrat root,"  which they dug in the marsh. This, 
       though sweet to the  taste, is a deadly poison. Two 
       of the children were  immediately seized with terrible 
       convulsions, which  caused the blood to flow from their 
       ears, mouth, nose and eyes, terminating in death in 
       about three hours. A lady present at the administered 
       to the other two large doses of melted lard, which 
       acting as an emetic, saved them, although they were 
       for some time in a critical condition. In all this
       time the husband and father was absent from home,
       caring little or nothing about those whom he had
       cruelly deserted.
        
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