The San Francisco call., 1896-04-01

! The gas jet in the hallway at the head oi
not lighted, and there was a strong odor
of gas. His first thought was that gust
! of wind had blown out the light, and he
fastened to turn the cock. 1t was securely
| closed, however, and Deuss felt for the
! first time that something was amiss. The
sitting odor became stronger as he entered
the front room of the dwelling, and he
rushed to the door of the apartments
where his wife and babies usually slept.
! 1t was closed and locked.
| "OIgal Olgar' he cried, humping the
door. "Olgai What's the matter, can t
| you answer"
No answer came from the dead on the
other side of the door; only the noise of
the death-dealing fluid escaping as with
serpent's hiss from four gas jets turned
on at full force could be heard.
! Frenzied by the uncertainty of the situa-
ton, and made doubly powerful by the
| possibility of his loved ones being in
| danger of their lives within few feet of
where he stood, Deuss braced himself for
plunge, and launched his entire weight
against the door.
IL b1OhC liz dUo ollucO US tAc
volume of gas which burst out against
| him as if fighting for its victims, he des-
! perately lunged through the broken panel
of the door, and at bound reached the
bed where lay his wife and their Youngest
boy.
my God, Olga!" he fairly shrieked,
shaking her, wake up! wake up!'
The unfortunate woman was already too
far gone 20 recover, although she was not
yet quite dead. Deuss then hurled him.
self against the large and only window
| Leading from the room in the rear of the
fiat. With one vigorous kick he smashed
the casing and a blast of welcome fresh ali
poured in. In another moment the fren
zied father ran and opened the windows in
the front of the house, and returning tc
the bedroom he began lifting his dear ones
from their couches and carrying them tc
where the fresh air could reach them.
1t did lot take long for him to do this
but the seconds seemed hours to him
| While engaged in his task he Kept up &
continual cry for help, which did not come
His cries, however, were heard, but at thai
unwonted hour they were unheeded.
Deuss pulled the pillows off the beds
and after placing them under the heads o.
his babies and wife he staggered back
down the stairs and out into the street
running toward the house of his friend
Anton Messersmith, and yelling like 6
demented man all the way.
Messersmith returned with Deuss, and
with Officer Murphy. on the Guerrero
street beat, they entered the house. It
was evident then that there was not 6
spark of life left in the four bd) kes, bu,
Drs. Moody and Mulligan, living in tn
immediate neighborhood, were summoned
At their suggestion the officials at the
| Morgue were notified.
AS soon as the anxious father, bending
over the physicians during their examina-
ton, learned that there was no more hope
he fell back half-fainting into the arms OF
his friend. Messersmith. Then, raliyins
he was on his knees. crawling from one to
the other of his four beloved darlings,
kissing and begging them to come back
"Olga! Gretchen! Fredda! Carl! My
darlings. Don't leave papa! don't leave
papa! Come back; oh. come back!" he
begged, while the tears streamed down
his cheeks.
The sight of this terrible sorrow was too
much for the physicians and Messersm ith
who were unable to withhold their feel.