The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-19
KILLED BY GAS.
Rancher Claus Greve Found in
the ThrOes of Death.
The Woman With When He Shared One of
Two Rooms in Hotel Is Revived
and viii Recover.

| The boat from Pet luna on Tuesday
night brought as passengers Claus Greve
well-knOwn rancher of Sonoma County,
ana good-looking young woman whom he
had often introduced in this city as his
niece. The couple entered bus and were
| driven to the Prescott House, at the corner
of Kearny street and Montgomery avenue.
They both registered from Salinas, us
| they had done on several occasions. The
woman was registered as Mrs. A. Greye and
was assigned to Room 49, and Greve to No.
81, the adjoining apartment This was done
because they had been accustomed to occu-
plying adjoining rooms They retired at 8
o'clock, Greve complaining of feeling un
well and taking bottle Of cough medicine
to his roGm
chambermaid was passing through the
nall at o'clock yesterday morning, when
the odor of escaping gas attracted her at
tentlon to Room 80. With her skeleton key
she opened the door and was Mortified by the
discovery of Greye and the woman in an
unconscious condition and breathing heavily.
ne woman lay under the quilt in her night
robes, Willie Greve was stretched across the
Ioot OIL The bed and partly attired.
IN THE THEoEs OF DEATH
When the servant recovered from the
SHOCK she ran to the Office of the hotel and
exclaimed that the occupants of Room SO
mad attempted suicide and were lying on
the bed in the throes of death. The clerk
and TWO porterS hurried up the stairs and
found the upper hallway filled with gas.
Greve and his companion were found as the
cham bermaid had described
The gas jet was turned half on and the
room was filled with gas. The commune
eating door between the rooms was half
open. No effort had been made to stop up
cracks and kevholes, and the indications
were that what at first appeared to be a
suicide was an accident.
Assistant Police Surgeon Bunker was sum-
moned from the Receiving Hospital. He
made an examination and said that Greye
was beyond medical aid and could not live
long.
Dr. Richie was also summoned, and the
two physicians applied the usual restora-
tlves. The woman, however, showed signs
OF recovery. She was removed to Room l.
across the hall, where DR.. Richie attended
her, while DR.. Bunker and his assistants
g We their attention to the dying man. All
efforts to resuocitate him were fruitess, and
TWO hours after being discovered he breathed
his last
LITTLE KNOWN OF THE DEAD.
The Coroner was notified and the remains
were removed to the Morgue. Greve was a
-compleXiOned man about So years of
age. Nothing was known about him, except
that he had tod the hotel people during fire.
quent trips here that he owned ranch near
Petaluma
The woman's condition rapidly improved
during the day, but she did not regain suffi-
GENTLY to be able to converse; at least the
motel people said so, and no one was adj
United TO her room except the doctors and
attendants. Little is known in reference TO
her, but 1t Is said she has mother living at
Salinas. She Is a pronounced blonde. about
% years old and has German cast OF
features
There is little doubt that the asphyxiation
was accidental, as none of the circumstances
would indicate that suicide had been in
tended. The gas fixture was in perfect
order, but worked rather easily. and il is |
supposed that when the light was extin-
gulShed the thumb-piece was turned partly |
back
The attending physicians account for the
peculiar fact that one of the inmates of the |
room should live while the other died by |
saying that is is probable that Greye had |
been drinking heavily.
GREvE IDENTIFIED.
Theodore WhOrler, a bartender, stated |
last night that he had been acquainted with
Greve III Petaluma, where the latter was in
the employ of Henry Gerkens, the pro-
prietor of the Eureka Stables. The de-
GSff aSaea Was member Of the order OF brdds,
and Whorler is positive that the woman,
who was in the same room with Greye, is a
niece.
Coroner Garwood visited the Prescott
House last DlSnI WIFI the intention OF OD-
tanning a statement from the young woman.
lie said on return he found her in a semi
delrious condition, and that when spoken
to she showered abuse on those who attempted
to question her, whereupon he concluded to
postpone his investigation until lie found
her in calmer mood.
WELL KNOWN IN PETALUNtA.
PETALUMA, Feb. 1S.-CIaus Greve, the
man found i'll a dying condition at the Pres
colt House in Sau Francisco, was well
known here. He had lived about here for
several Years. at one time he and his
brother ran schooner ON the creek. They
afterwNrd farmed, but for year or two
Claus has been Ia king care of horses. For
the last two months he has been working in
Henry Gerckeu's livery stable. During
that time he had erysipelas badly in his
head. About a month since his mother
died here. The woman with him is his
niece. She worked out but for some time
has been stopping at the Cosmopolitan Ho-
tel in this city. Claus worked yesterday up
to about 3 o'clock, though complaining
some, and at O'Clock himself and niece left