The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-06

3:i5 O'CLOCK.
SINCE FRIDAY.
Dead in Her Room in
Boston
Sad Fate of a Woman Who
Belongs in This City.
Accidental AsphyxiatiOn by Illumi-
mating Gas in a Lodging House.

niIGCLs DAnlOhs ha1N ~
found dead in her room yesterday afternoon.
probably suffocated by gas, and a most un.
usual circumstance in connection with the
case is that. from all that can be found, the
body had been there since last Friday morn
ing very early.
The housekeeper and the police, from what
they have leaned, do not seem to think IL is a
case of suicide, but IL Is a strange Case. Medi-
cal Examiner Draper has seen tho body, but
will not make his report until today.
Miss Grant has a mother, two sisters and
brother. who live at IFS North Main street.
and 1t is said that she has a relative on one Of
the BOSTON daily papers.
The story of how and when Miss Grant died.
as related by the honsekeeper at 2s Upton
street. is practically this: Miss Grant, who
was n book canvasser. and whose business had
been dull for some little time. had said some
thing about taking a short trip to see her
mother. and last Thursday she told the house.
keeper that tine next morning she. Miss
Grant, was going on a short trip. and prob
ably would not return until Sunday. so the
housekeoper did not bother to brush up the
room or attend &c tho bedding.
Thursday evening Miss Grant had n caller.
VINO had come on some business, and the
hOuhtbf cDtT bCaTh thbNl Adlklng III mlss
Grants room as late as 10 o'clock. Shortly
after that hoar the caller went away.
That is the last time any one about the
house heard any sound from Miss Grant
Friday morning the housekeeper did not
see Miss Grant, but as none OF tho dodgers
have their meals in the house, ana often
several Of them go in and out during the day
without the housekeaper having seen them,
49,. Ia. g...l 49, MI. g.
had lef; the house for her train. and would
not be back until sunday. as she had stated.
The housekeepcr says she paid no further
attention to the room. feeling that everything
was all right, only when passing the room
door she would make two or three reps. in
case Miss Grant had not gone, and did the
-Eame thing two or three days later, IN case
Miss Grant had returned and was In her
room. n didn't occur to the housekeeper
that ihare was anything strange about Miss
Grant going away without saying any more
to any one in the house, for she didn't know
many OF the people very well.
On sunday it was time TO change the bed
ding in Miss Grants room. and the house
keeper left the room supply at Miss Grants
door. II was noticed that Miss Grant had
not taken the bedding into the room, as she
NOulu ntNo uoLe ndu tnH iteD Az nOHlts anu
the housekeeper thought Miss Grant had not
returned. she tried the door and found ii
locked. as it usually was when Miss Grant
was out of 10.
Whatever the housekeeper might have sus-
pected. she evidently did not feel it necessary
TO 20 into the room for ANYTHING, aud merely
left it locked, as she supposed Miss Grant had
when she went away to Providence.
There couldn't have been a great deal Of
gas escaping from tho room oil that time. for
the people in the house do not appear TO have
noticed any smell of gas.
Monday passed, and still the bedding re-
manned at Miss Grants door; Tuesday it was
thu samo story, and after the housekeeper
found the same state Of affsirs yesterday
morning, she began TO think something was
wrong. or she would have had some word
from Miss Grant, SO lat1r in the day the
housekeeper made a more definite trial at tho
door and inserted a KEY to open IL. Sue found
there was a key on tho other side that pre-
vented her key from unlocking the door.
The housekeeper could then detect quite n
strong smell Of gas. and she suspected the
truth at once. BY going into another room
she could look over the traDsom into Miss
Grants room. This she did. and by means Of
a looking-glass in Miss Grants room could
SEQ the bed without looking entirely into tho
room.
IL was n sorrowful sight that met the,
housekeeper's eyes when she caught the re-
Election in the glass. There lay Miss Grant In
bed. She had apparently retired comfortably
for the night.
The housekeeper did not attempt TO enter
the room. In fact, she was 100 scared TO do
anything for a while. She soon summoned
the police, however.
IL was found upon entering tho room that
one gas Jet was turned partially on. but the
police say the Jet was hardly turned a quarter
on, and hardly enough 90 indicate that II was
anything but accidental that Miss Grant had
been suffocatod. II hardly seemed that there
was enough gas to suffocate one, anyhow, but
the room was pretty tightly closed. and there
was doubtless enough gas escaped through the
first night TO stupefy Miss Grant, and then
the fumes may have gradually poisoned her
20 death.
The condition q the body indicated that
she had been dead i'm the room at least since
some time last Friday.
The Gas Set in question Is one that turns
With q mere touch. ana tho probable cause OF
tho accident, 10 j; was accident, sooms TO be
that in letting 60 tn, Jet. after turning out
the light. Miss Grant must have touched IL
enough 20 partly turn ON tho gas again with
out noticing what she had done.
No one who has known Miss Grant seems TO
think she committed suicide. she was Of q
cheerful disposition. tina talked very happily
about seei-o her wa,her Last Thursday. The