Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-27
sCFROCArED NJ Gas.
Sad Csse Drs1sAt 10 the Csrsas-'s Asse.tso.
To-day.

Sod Case Dro0Ghf 10 the Coro0er's Aftension
To-day.
TWO syrsns rnr vrcrrns-oxx DEAD AND rss
ofRKn NKAnlY SOFT 10 NOT Known wHxrHKa
TIE ruxxno on or rHR oAs Vas Accrpsx-
TAI On NOT.
Deputy Coroner Schaeffer was called upon
today to investigate one Of the ssddest cases Of
death from accident that has come within the
Jurisdiction Of the coroner for many months.
The case was that Of . young woman whose
death occurred sometime this morning from
breathing Illuminating gas.
The deceased was . Miss Clark. and in the
bed beside her was her sister, whose condition
was such - To render . return Of full life a.
most among the impossibilities
The girls. according 70 their own statements,
came to this city from their parents home in
Fairfax Court House. Va. One of them was ap-
parently about twenty-three years old and the
other was three or four years younger.
They first came here year ago and roomed
together. They were seamstresses and we're
employed at dressmaking establishments. One
said she was employed near 9Th street and
Pennsylvania avenue, while the other worked
somewhere near 9th and = streets.
THE HOUSE ON THIRD STREET,
where they have lived during the
past eleven months could not be
ascertained, but a week ago they called
at the house Of Mrs. Mary J. Hantzman,
No. Sl4 I'd street northwest, and rented room
They were pretty girls and neatly dressed and
appeared 30 iadyliEe that Mrs. Hantzman let
them have the room without any questioning.
She did not not even ask them their first
names. About the house the girls were always
quick and orderly and seldom had anything TO
say to anybody, not even Mrs. Hantzman. In
the morning they always went 70 work and in
the evenings they returned home aud seldom
LETT their room again until the next morning
HOLIDAY YESTERDAY
Yesterday they did not 60 to work and dur
ing the morning the older one borrowed pair
Of scissors from the landIady.
All day long they remained indoors and
about z O'Clock last evening they told Mrs
Hantzmsn that they we're going TO the theater
Mrs. Hantzman went the door with them and
explained to them how TO turn the lock. as it is
o peculiar one. First one sister went outside
Being satisfied that they would have no trouble
IN getting in, they took the key with them and
went Cd, as they said, to 60 10 the thester.
LONG WAIT.
The iandiady waited up for them and fell
asleep In chair. The hours rolled by as she
slept in the chair and when she woke up il was
thirty minutes past the hour of midnight. She
was certain that the girls for whom she had
oeen waiting had come in silently and retired
but when she went upstairs she was surprised
70 md the room without an occupant She re-
turned 70 her sitting room on the first floor and
waited The hours Of and were sounded
on the church bell and still the young girls had
not put in an appearance.
THEY CANE HOME BorsrERous
The minutes to Mrs. Hantzman we're hours,
but soon before o'clock noise was heard al
the front door and then the door opened The
sisters came in and closed the door behind
them. Passing through the hall and up the
steps they made more noise than usual.
d. mrs hantzman says they were SO boisterous
that she made up her mind TO have them leave
her house and secure . room elsewhere. She
went to the door and looked out to see il they
had an escort, but she saw nobody.
From the appearance of their room today one
OF the sisters must have been sick after return
ing home.
GRoANs WERE HEARD
Nothing was heard of the unfortunate one
until this morning about o'clock, when an
other roomer in the house heard one of them
grooming. She listened a while, but the groans
to it.
About Ii O'Clock Mrs. Hantzman noticed that
the Clark sisters had not appeared down stairs
and she sent Emma Jones, a co1ored servant,
up to ask for the return Of the scissors that
she had loaned them the day before.
ONE OF THEM WAS DEAD
1t was not more than q minute afterward that
the girl returned with the sad news that the
older Of the two was dead and the younger
one was nearly SO. Gas" said the colored girl
several times, and that explained the cause Of
the sad condition of affairs.
The gas jet was turned on full and the gas
was still entering the room. Whether it had
been blown out or the key turned all the way
round lis not known, for the KEY was one Of the
kind that had no projection to make its stop
ping place.
ONE NAY RECOVER.
DR.. 8. s. Bond was called to the house and
while he found the live one in a precarious
condition he thought she would probably re-
cover.
The body Of the deceased was removed TO the
morgue.
The police are endesvoring to ascertain more
about the identity Of the girls, and word will
De sent to their parents near Fairfax Court
House.
1t was learned this afternoon by the police
that the deceased girls name Was Ora Clark.
The place where the girls parents reside is
called Hunters Mill.