The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-24
one MORE UNFORTUNATE.
Another Case Of Blew Out the Gas
Ends Fatally.

Homer Sheppard, OF Livingston, s. O.,
Asphyziated in His Room at the
Pulaski House-A Simple Case of
Ignorance of What He Was Doing.
The Gas Turned on Full When the
Room Was Entered-The Body to Be
Returned to the Dead Mans Home
To-day.
Homer Sheppard, Of Livingston, s. c.,
was found dead in his bed in room SO at
the Pulaski house yesterday morning
about 10 o'clock. His death was the re-
suit of asphyxiation.
There was nothing about Sheppard's
actions the night before, nor in the midi
cations which he left behind, to lead TO
the belief that his death was the result
of anything but ignorance--another sim
pie case of ''blew out the gas"
Sheppard came in last night on the
South Bound railroad to meet Mr.. Elan
Hurd, the contractor by whom he had
been hired to cut some crossties. He
walked out for while, and returned
about 1920 in the evening, when he re-
tired to his room. That was the last seen
of him alive
HE BLEW OUT THE GAS.
Before retiring however he left a
card on which he had written his name
for MIR. Hurd and said that he would see
him in the morning.
The porter had lighted the gas in his
room, No. 60 on the third story Shep-
pard went in and from the indications ate
an orange before retiring. He then blew
out the gas, at least that is the only con-
o1r7 gsS,v,f 1,nA 4 =
bed.
Mr.. Hurd sat waiting for him in the
office of the hotel yesterday morning, and
wondered why he was so late in coming
down. The employees of the hotel on that
floor noticed a strong smell of escaping gas
early yesterday morning. 1t became so bad
that they finally reported it to the Office and
it was determined to investigate it. There
was no mistaking the quarter from which
the smell came, and The door of room SO
was tried. 1t was securely locked, how
ever, and the key was on the inside.
There was but one way tc1get in without
breaking in the door, and one of the bell
boys tried it. He had practically to climb
a wall a distance of twenty feet with but
one or two window sills to aid him, but he
reached the window Of the room and
raised it. The room was filled with gas,
and when the door was opened Sheppard
was found stretched lifeless diagonally
across the bed.
CASE OF IGNORANCE.
Coroner Dixon was notified at once of
the finding of the body which was dis
covered about 10 o'clock He made an
investigation of the room and the mans
effects. Sheppard had only 1920 on his
person, besides a pistol which was not
loaded. Several cartridges were found on
the bureau, together with some tax re-
ceipts and other business papers.
The gas was found turned on full force
when the room was opened and the win
dow was closed tightly, though that was
probably done on account of the GOODNESS
of the night. There was nothing what
ever to indicate that Sheppard's death
was anything more than the result of ig-
norance and carelessness, from the fact
perhaps, that he was not accustomed to
gas.
The coroner took charge of the
body and telegraphed Sheppard's
wife, at Livingston's Sheppard was
a farmer at that station, which lis up
on the South Bound railroad. and the
fact that he lived about four miles out
from the station delayed the answer last
night. He was heavy man. weighing
about 230 pounds, and was between so
and 60 years old. He leaves wife and
family near Livingston
Coroner Dixon received a dispatch
signed S. A. Sheppard, last night. in
answer to the one he had sent, stating
that Henry Boles, a relative of the dead
man, would be in the city to-day to take
the body to Livingston.