The Indianapolis journal., 1894-01-26
VICTIMS OF THE GAS
Edward Thornton, COlOred Man,
and His Daughter Both Dead.
Three People Found i'm a Room Filled
with Fumes Coroner Thinks 1t
Was Poison.

Edward Thornton, a colored man living
at No. 357 Blake street, died some time
Wednesday night His death was attrib-
uted to Suffocation from the fumes of nat
ural gas. His wife was found in great
agony, and also displayed symptoms of
asphyxiation, but viii get well. A ten
year-old daughter fingered in terrible ag-
ony until o'clock yesterday afternoon,
when she died. The Thorntons were IN
poor circumstances, and lived in a three
room cottage.
Yesterday morning an unnatural quietude
about the premises led one of the neigh
bors to break in a door. Thornton was ly-
ing on the bed of the sitting room. life
less. At his feet lay his wife unconscious,
and on lounge the daughter Belle was
apparently in a dying condition. Fumes
of gas could be detected on first entering
the room, and fire burning in the kitchen
stove, from which the pipe had been re-
moved, suggested the theory of asphyx-
iation. The family had but one fire, which
burned in the cook stove. In the room
adjoining Thornton and his wife slept, and
the child occupied a couch in a small bed
room opening into the room used by her
parents. DR.. William Chavis, .colored
physician, was called Immediately after the
to resuscitate the mother and daughter
Both were taken to a. neighbors, where
the girl improved steadily until noon.
About 8 o'clock she grew worse and died
an hour after. Her symptoms were those
seldom found in of suffocation from
gas, and puzzled the physicians. She COM
planned of intense pain in the stomach
and vornited freely. There We're also indi-
cations that her father had vomited before
dh Sed fS Beck es an Which,
directed by DR.. Carey. The lungs were
found congested. and there were other, post
was partially due to suffOcation, although
the pink condition of the blood found IN
the lungs appeared "a, & to tn the physicians as
The fact that the little girl was con-
scious before her, death also puzzled the
coroner. 1t is understood that illness from
asphyXa Is not attended by pain and voIn-
the child and her father. The coroner is
of the opinion that the family suffered
from other causes than natural gas, and
is strongly convinced that they were pois-
oned. This belief was strengthened when
the official learned that, the family had
been cooked in a new brass kettle on
Wednesday night.
Mrs. Thornton, who was able. to talk yes
terday said that her husband had eaten
heartily of the beans, while She had eaten
sparingly. Her daughter; she said, ap,,
also ate a very hearty supper The wom-
an does not remember suffering during the
night She heard means from the room
occupied by the little girl, and arose from
the bed to gee what was the trouble with
the child. She attempted to walk across
the floor but fell and was only able. TO
drag herself back TO bed. Then she lost
consciousness. The child found in
the room near her father and mother, and
IL is thought that she attempted to get to
them while suffering the agonies of suffo-
cation. The family have been burning gas
In the stove all winter without a pipe, and
had never before experienced any trouble
The coroner does not believe asphyxia
is entirely responsible for the death OF
Thornton and the child, and will make
rigid investigation. The stomach of Thorn.
ton will be nalyzed and the articles of food
eaten at supper on Wednesday night may
be subjected to a chemical analysis. DR.
Chavis, the attending physician, admits
that the case has a peculiar look, and is
also inclined to accept the poison theory
Mrs. Thornton will recover, although sht
is vet very sick Her husband was thirty
five years old. and was a day laborer by
occupation He came to this city IRON
I.oufSVillA