The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-12
They Died Thursday Night and the
Fact Was Not Discovered Until
Yesterday.
LIVED A sECLUSIvE LIFE
AND THE NEIGHBORS NOTICED
NOTHING UNUSUAL.
William Gum Called to Visit His
Reintives and Discovered Their
Dead Bodies.

John Gum, sixty-two years old, and his
mother. Elizabeth Gum, eighty-six years
cid. living at Isl Linden street, were found
sCffocated from inhaling natural gas yes
terday afternoon. They were alone in the
house. They lived exclusively to them
selves. They undoubtedly died Thursday
night, but the discovery was not made
until yesterday afternoon, when William
Gum. of 500 South State avenue, a brother
of John Gum, went to visit them. He
found Fridays and Saturdays papers In
the box by the gate and the milk for the
two days where ii had been left by the
milk man.
He did not understand the situation. and
tried 70 enter the house but the toors were
locked. watch dog, which was always
kept in the house, failed TO give any sound
when he hammered on the doors, and this
caused more apprehension. Unable to get
in he secured a ladder and climbed up
To the transon over the outside door to
the dining room and looked In. He then
climbed over the transom and found his
brother and mother dead. The gas In the
cook stove was turned on but not lighted,
which was responsible for the deaths. He
THEN summoned coroner NASH.
EVERYTHING IN ORDER.
There was no apparent signs of any
struggle. The man lay a cot at one
side of the room and the mother on a cot
on the opposite side of the room. The
covers On either bed were not dsarranged
and they had died peacefully. A few
dishes were on the table, but the evening
meal had been cleared away. Thursday
nights paper lay on the table where 1t
had been left by one or the other before
going to bed. The paper was partly folded
as If carelessly cast aside. Everything
In the room was just as they had left ii
before retiring. The dog was in the room
also, when the discovery was made, but
was not dead. 1t seemed to be In stupor
and was unable to bark or give sound
when William Gum was knocking at the
door. After being taken into the air the
deg revived.
John Gum was a wood carver, employed
at the Indianapolis Carpenters Union on
South New Jersey street He was never
married and his mother kept house foF
him. The two lived quietly, knew few
people in the immediate vicinity, and sell
dom went out. Those living near say they
never saw Mrs. Gum go farther than
back to the house. John Gum was sell
dom seen except ON his way to and from
work. The two had lived in this peculiar
manner for nearly thirty years, and the
neighbors HAD become accustomed to their
way. Inside shutters to the windows were
rarely opened, and there was little about
the premises to indicate any sign of life
So. on account of their seclusive life moth
ing was noticed out of the ordinary while
the two lay dead in their home. Weeks
had gone by heretofore. with no more ap-
parent signs of life than were noticea BILE
the last few days, and the neighbors saw
nothing unusual
CAME FROM SCOTLAND.
The family came from Scotland shortl,
after the close Of the civil war in this
country. and rock I'D their residence where
the son and mother died. Their visitors
were principally natives of Scotland with
whom they were acquainted before the,
came to this country, and who came al
irregular intervals. Thursday night viii.
liam Dunn, Miss Elizabeth McDougall
living at zoe Meek street, and Mrs Flynn
her neighbor, visited John Gum and his
mother. They were at the house unit
almost O'Clock. This was the last seer
of them before they were suffocated
Circumstances were such that there was
no means of discovering the deaths Other
than in the accidental manner of yester
day afternoon Gum was to have no wori
the remainder OF the week, so he was mo-
missed at the plant by his employers Oh
fellow-workmen. William Gum paid then
his semi-weekly visit Thursday night, ant
arrangements were made for the mother
and son to take a weeks visit beginning
Sunday. William Gum went over TO Sc,
If they had gone and made the discovery
Persons living in the vicinity say tn,
gas has been troublesome for seyera
nights, and on several occasions went out
Ii is supposed Gum and his mother wen
TO bed with the gas burning low, as wa:
their custom when IL was cool, and tn,
pressure became SO weak that the blaz.
went out. Then when 1t came again tn.
fumes filled the room and were inhaled b,
the two occupants.