Omaha daily bee., 1884-03-10
HIS LAST SLEEP.
The Death Of Charles GSStGiD, an Omaha
Man, in a Chicago Hotel.
His Death Caused by Sufrocation from
Gas-The Accident Due to an
Imperfect Gas Cock.

Charles L. ii. Geston, of Omaha, q
guest at the Palmer house. was discover.
ed about I O'Clock Friday afternoon,
lying dead in his bed in room 666. The
Chicago Times contains the follo wing ac-
count of the sad affair: 'The strong
odor of gas, and the half,opened gas
cock, from which the fluid wat still es-
Gaping, explained the cause of the mans
death. Little or nothing is known about
the dead man, except that he came from
Omaha, aud was either a civil engineer
or journalist by profession. He went to
the Palmer house shortly before noon on
Thursday, and, registering his address as
Omaha, requested the clerk to assign him
to q warm, comfortable room, as he in.
tended remaining in the city about a
week or ten days. At the same time he
informed one of the clerks that he was a
civil engineer, and later the sam day
told another employee that he was a news
paper correspondent. The latter asser.
ton is probably a truthful one, as rail
road passes from Omaha TO this city and
return, and credited to The Omaha Re-
publican, were found on his
person. Between 8 and 10 o'clock
Thursday night Gesten called
at the hotel office for the key of
his room, and ordering a pitcher of Ice
water, withdrew for the night. That
was the last seen of him alive. Room
No. 666 is situated in the sixth floor, and
when the chambermaid of that floor tried
to enter the room about IL o'clock FRI
day morning she found thu door securely
locked. and her failure to insert the pass
key into the lock indicated that the key
ut the room was sticking in the lock from
the inside. Nothing strange was thought
of the circumstance, as many dodgers do
not rise until noon. The woman re-
turned to the door of the room in less
than one hour, but her efforts to unfasten
the lock or arouse the supposed sleeper
by her vigorous poundings against the
door were unavsilipg. She then left,
but returned a third time about 12:45
o'clock. Finding the same state of af
fairs, she communicated with the hotel
office, and a hell boy and porter were
sent to her. A st~ep-ladder was procured
and placed against the door. The bell
boy mounted the ladder, and, peering
Chr ough the trarsom, which was fastened
on the inside, saw Gestein lying on the
he'd. Rappings against the transom and
door failed to bring a response from
the man, who was believed to be sleep,
ing. Finally, not succeeding in opening
eithe the transom or the door, the latter
was forced in by the porter. On enter
ing the room, a gust of gas told the per
sons that all was not right. The porter
rushed to the window, which he threw
open, and then turning his attention t,
the gas fixtures found the cock half open
He closed it, aud then caught hold of tn,
man lying III bed and shaking him vigor
ously tried to arouse him, all the Will.
believing him only asleep. A closer il
spection convinced him that the maj
was not sleeping, but dead. The officer
of the hotel were notified, and they q
once dispatched a messenger for the near
est doctor. A physician arrived soo'
afterward, and making an examination
declared that the man had died from
asphyxiation by coal-gas. and had bee
dead several hours. The coroner va
notified and Deputy Coroner McLaughlil
%impaneled a jury. After viewing tn
remains, the inquest was I'D
iourned until 10 o'clock Saturda
morning, and an autopsy wa
ordered. Deputy Coroner McLaughli
took charge Of Gestein's effects, whic
. are contained in a large trunk and
~valise. On his person, besides the raj
road passes, was found SIG In money
There were also several letters, wbic
threw no light on the matter ave tn
fact that the deceased. was.named GesteiI
and had been employed on the Oman
Republican. The remains were ordere
sent TO the morgue Oh Third avenue
where they now lie. When Gestein W,
found his body lay across the bed an
= was partially uncovered. His head al
4 eft arm projected over the edge of til
!, bed, and on the floor just below tn
!. clenched left h nd was found an Englis
e versioa of Hug o's lies Miserables" i
pamphlet form The bed clothing WIS
E considerably disarrsnged, and the be
itself had been pushed to q position ne,
he center of the room and against IL
wall, stan ling beneath the wall gas Fl,
ture. On the small center table lay tn
: dead mans gold watch, with opened cas-
and running. Everything else aoout I'll
a room plainly indicated that nothing h
= been disturbed. 1t is believed that G.,
tein on reaching his room on Thursds
night pushed the bed undernea'
the gas.bxture 80 that he ecu
lie abed and be afforded az
pie light from the jet the
Just above his head. He probably res
until feeling tired, and throwing Il
book on the floor, raised up in bed al
turned the gass of. 1t is certain that l
turned off the gas, and then acciden
ally turned the cock around half wa
, Having read himself tired he soon f.
! asleep, and the slowly escaping gas grs
g ually filled the room, which was entire
closed, the transom and window both b
Z ing secured. 1t is supposed that Geste
81 was unfamiliar with gas, and, awaking
! a half asphyxiated state, was too drowI
II to escape from the room or inspect II
gas. An inspection OF the gas-co'
' showed that it had no stop, and, NOR
=, ever, turned to easely. This will readl
). explain how the unfortunate man mi
have eItinguished the gas by turaing Il