The morning times., 1896-09-11

Victor Hugo Posey, eighteen years old
was found dead yesterday at his home
on the southwest corner Of Tenth and I
streets northwest, by his brother, Rober
Posey. Death was due 10 asphyxiation b.
III umiDaung gas. No facts came TO tn,
| notice or tie coroner which would support
! theoryof suicide The death OF the young
man lisa mystery.
Posey came into the house at ] 1 o'clocl;
Wednesday night and presumably retired
None OF the family siw him, though they
heard him An the members of the famIl ,
saw him at supper and there was nothing
III his n-anner Which awakened comment
1t must have been about midnight that
The young nan entered the batn room
on the second floor and at the back OF the
house. Ee lighted the gas. 1t did moi
burn long. The room was soon dark
Yesterday morning at 6 o'clock Robert
Posey entered the bath room and found
the hody OF his bro her. Eeighborini
physician was called and the body placed
upon bed. He had Eeen dead several
hours.
. ROOM TIGHT CLOSED.
The window of the bathroom was closed
and the blinds too. The door leading To
the way was shut, but not locked The
gas key was turned partly on and the
room was stirling with escaping gas. A
broken package OF cigarettes lay near the
body. The relatives stated last night
that no note was found and that they
know of nothing which would prompt the
young man TO take his life.
Hugo was saddicted to the use Of cigarettes.
His mother opposed him in the pIaotice.
1t was suggested by the mother that her
son had gone there to smoke and had turned
out the gas. In turning the key he had
turned il off and then pressed ii too far
the other way. The gas fixture Is not
provided with a stop cock. The gas cs-
capped rapidly and the young man. putting
clouds OF cigarette smoke, ceaGened his
sense of smell SO that he did not notice the
gas. 1t soon overcame him and he dezed
OFF. fell asleep and died.
Though ne was from the country he was
familiar with the Use of gas and could net
have Intentionally blown ii cut. His rather
conducts n grocery store under the dwell
ing and Hugo was clerk there. The
family came from Charles county, Nd, and
the remains will he sent there for inte Iment.
Coroner Hamnctt issued the necessary
certificate.
WHAT HIS FRIENDS SAY.
Young Pcscy's friends say that hc was
Of a depressed temperament and often
talked in a deSponGcnt manner. He was
full OF moods, and come Of these are de-
scrihcd as being of gloomy nature. There
it was in one of these the young man killed
himself.
There was Il s.cry current in the neigh
bOThood last night that Poscy had gone to
the bath room, urGresscd and turned on
;he gas, and tliat when the body was found
itlay upon tie clothes which had been made
in.o a corch. This story was denied by the
immediate family OF the dead man, but.
Notwithstanding the denials OF the family,
there seems 10 lie something in connection
with the case which they are lcath to re-
veal.
As the body was discovered at O'Clock
and the coroner was not notified till 2:3O
in the afternoon, there was ample time
10 suppress any facts which the family
did not care to make public. A suicide
by gas is usually difficult to establish
unless the suicide leaves note. Then
it often happens that friends suppress this
Eote. An instance Of this kind may be
cited in the attempt Of John Sykes, about
two weeks ago. There have been many
cases where the coroner and Police have
been morally certain that Death was self
inflicted, yet where there has been the
least uncertainty IN the II after, the benefit
OF the doubt has been given to the victim,
and a certificate OF accidental death issued.