Guard Your Coffee

Two stories from 1910 prove that coffee is the perfect medium for the perfect crime

Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

You love it, you depend on it, your day could not begin without it. Drinkers from Milan to Memphis have a love affair with coffee — it is one of the world’s most popular drinks.

But did you know that your cup of Majestic Roast might conceal a hidden peril? Coffee’s acrid taste, dark consistency, and powerful flavor make it the delivery system for murderers. A poison can be slipped into the cup of an unwary drinker, and by the time the grounds appear in the bottom, the victim is a dead man drinking.

On April 24, 1910, the Washington Post alerted its readers to the potential dangers of an unattended coffee cup. “It is curious,” wrote the article’s author, “how frequently coffee is used as a medium by poisoners.” The Post then listed two recent cases that suggested the dangers posed by this common drink.

Earlier in the year, Joseph Scott, an English manufacturer, died after drinking a strychnine-laced cup of coffee. Mary Sollebrass, Scott’s housekeeper, testified at the coroner’s inquest that Scott had complained about the taste of his coffee, calling it ‘bitter.’ He insisted that Sollebrass sample the brew. She later testified that one sip from the cup made her ill. Scott also demanded that his groom…