St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-23
SUFFOCATED BY GAS.
A Guest at the Merchants
Who Blowout the
Light.
Journeying Homeward to Be-
come Reconciled With His
Father.
ShreWd Capitalists Who Have
Anticipated the Trend Of
Population.
Results of a Days Wander
ings About the Sanity
City.

Among the arrivals by the incoming
Northern Pacific train Wednesday even
ing were party of four, who registered
at the Merchants as IL. c. Buskirk, S.
Davis, ID. Holmes and nj. Furter, of
America, Cass county, Dakota. Bus
kirk and Holmes stated to the clerk that
they would like a room with two beds
in it, and in accordance with their
wishes were assigned one of the large
rooms on the upper floor. 1t was
about 10 o'clock when they regis
tered, and they were Immediately
shown to their room. About half
past eleven Holmes came down stairs
and stated to the night clerk that he did
not care to occupy the same room with
Buskirk. lie paid his bill and went
out. but after an absence OF quarter
of an hour he returned and requested
permission to sit in chair in the office
throughout the night. Being informed
that this was against
THE RULES OF THE HOUSE.
he paid for another om-and said that
he merely wanted lodging. Yesterday
morning when the changed list" was
made out the number of the room oc-
cupied by Holmes was placed thereon.
fAOoub OLA " StOSh III tllS ShSiiihSs oiS Az
word had been received at the Office that
the room had been put in order, the
chambermaid was Intercepted and
stated that the door was locked and
had been all day. A porter was
sent up, and as there was
no response to repeated knocks,
the door was forced, and Oh opening it
the attendants were nearly smotherea
by escaping gas. AS soon as they could
breathe the air of the room with impu
nifty glance showed that both windows
and the transom were tightly closed.
On the floor. halfway between the bed
and the chandelier, was the dead body
of Holmes clad in shirt, undershirt and
drawers. Deceased had evidently blown
out the gas, gone directly to bed, and
had awakened IN the agonieS of Strangu
lation. He made an effort to reach the
window, but his vitality was not equal
to the attempt, and after
BLINDLY CROPPING ABOUT TIE ROOM
for a few seconds he fell to the floor.
and died within few feet of the means
of salvation. His knees were drawn
up, and when found he was crOuching
on all tours, with knees. hands and
elbows resting OH the floor.
Coroner Quinn was notified, and the
body was taken in charge by an under
taker and conveyed out by the rear of
the house, few of the guests knowing
anything about it. The body has been
embalmed. and will remain at DAM
piers until it is claimed by friends.
The deceased had on his person nine
silver dollars, cheap silver watch,
some small change, a ticket from Cas-
selton, OAK, to Sedalia, Mo-, via the
Northern Pacific railway, and check
for his trunk between the same points.
In Russia leather pocketbook. which
was also found among his effects, were
numerous letters which showed that he
was a well-meaning, illiterate man in
the middle walks of life. Among other
letters was one from Sarah Fish. of
GrayaiS Mills, Ney., which seemed to
indicate that the deceased had had
falling out with his father, and that she
recommended him to come home and
make up with the old gentleman
AND OBLITERATE THE PAST.
Acting upon her advice. he was prob
ably Ell route homeward when he met
his death. In a notebook was found
the inscription, ''David Holmes, started
for Versailles, Morgan county. Nov. 81,
1888" The letters were all directed to
Armenia, and from that place Holmes
probably journeyed to Casselton, in
tending to reach Versailles via Sedalia.
Deceased was we'll built, muscular
young man, about twenty-five years of
age, and his clothing showed that he
was man of moderate means. The
marshal of Versailles has been notified,
but no clue to the friends of the dead
mon has hpnn obtained