The San Francisco call., 1898-06-27
Drank Some Steam
 Beer and Died.
TWO COMPANIONS SUFFER
NO SOLUTION OF THE MYSTERY
 YET OBTAINED.
Dr. Fitzgibbon Says the Symptoms Indicated Poisoning-Barkeeper M. ". Morgan in the Tanks
 Awaiting Developments.

panic may be expected along the va. rious steam beer routes of the city to-day by reason of the strange experience o1 three men who indulged freely in the amber beverage, with the result that one of them died a rather sudden and violent death. The other two, Victor Bergdah and E. C. Pearce, were very i'll for sev- eral hours. The facts of the fatal affair make it a strange one, and the actual cause of Reads death will probably not be known until an analysis of his stomach has been made
 Read left his home at 1531 Howard street after dinner on Saturday evening and in company with his two friends went down town, where he purchased some 1 clothing and the three then went to the Young Mems Christian Association build l ing about S:30 o'clock and took a swim remaining in the tank an hour, actively i exercising.
 On leaving the place the men leisurely walked homeward. Pearce says they did not stop on the way either to drink or eat until they arrived at the New York Saloon on the northeast corner of How. ard and Eleventh streets. They entered and began shaking dice for beer. After imbibing seven or eight glasses Read was taken with sudden nausea. Bergdahl and Pearce were soon attacked in the same their homes, which are in that section of the city. They were deathly sick and made slow. progress, but managed to reach Reads residence where they sat down on the steps, hoping to gradually re- cover The illness continued and the un- fortunate young man at last left his com panions and went upstairs. saving he ne must go to bed. His mother met him when he came in and remarked upon his being out so late. He acknowledged the fact and retired after taking some pills calculated to settle his stomach.
 Later in the night his parents were aroused by grooming in the young man room and found him unconscious and apparently in great distress In less than an hour the unfortunate man died with out regaining consciousness.
 Pearce accompanied Bergdahl to his home at 176 Thirteenth street, and suc- ceeded in dragging himself to his own abode where he was again attacked with severe nausea. About 3 o'clock he was notified of Reads death. and after call ing at the house of the deceased went to the Receiving Hospital for treatment. He was a very sick man for number of hours. but was able to go home later in the day, after making a statement of facts to the police. Bergdahl also went to the hospital for treatment and told the same story.
 served the beer, was arrested and ident,- fled by Pearce and Bergdahl, after which he was placed in the tanks.
 Morgan says he knows nothing or the rounds of beer for the men, drank som. himself and served it to others. A sam pie of the beer was taken Tor analysis. Notwithstanding the suspicious circum- stances, the assistant barkeeper. J. P. Enright, was drinking beer from the same keg yesterday afternoon to con- vince customers and others that there was no poison in 1t.
 John Read, father of the deceased says he was not addicted to drink, was a man of exemplary habits and excellent health mystery. but thought his sons death might have been caused by the bursting of a blood vessel through violent exercise In the bath. Read was 22 years old ana had been employed from boyhood in Gar ratt's foundry as a molder.
 For some unexplained reason Bergdah' gave the fictitious name of Henry Viii son." and deceived the police as to hls residence. He Is an employe of the Aux Hilary Fire Alarm Company. Pearce is employed by the Pacific Can Company
 Dr. Fitzgibbon of the Receiving Hos- pital, who attended the two men, says the symptoms indicated poison, but oi what nature could not be determined until an analysis of the beer and the stomach of Read had been made.