The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-30
EMILE zOLA DIES
Of ASPHYXIATION
His Wife Narrowly Escapes a
Like Fate,
THF 0EATH AN AccI0FNT
THE DEATH AN ACCIDENT
Overpowered by the Fumes From a
Defective Stove.
THE NOVELIST AWAKENED BY HIS WIFE
H Tries 10 Reach Window But Falls and
Madame ZuIa Swoons She is Yet
Unaware of His
Death,
(By the Associated Press

(By the Associated Press.)
Paris. Sept. 29.-Emile Zola. the novel
ist, who gained additional prominence in
recent years because of his defence of the
! Jews and of former Captain Dreyfus was
! found dead in his Paris home this morn
| ing, Asphyxiation, resulting from the
fumes of a stove in his bed room, is
given as the cause of death.
NJ. Zola and his wife retired at ten
o'clock last night. Madame Zola was
seriously ill when the room was broken
| into this morning. At about noon she was
removed to a private hospital where she
recovered consciousness for a short time
! and was able briefly to explain to mag
| istrate what had happened. NJ. and Nine.
| Zola -eturned to Paris from their coun-
! try house at Medam yesterday. Owing to
sudden spell of cold weather the heat
> cr in .heir bedroom was ordered to be
| lighted. The stove burned badly and the
pipes of the stove are said to have
! been out of order.
| To the magistrate Nine. Zola ex-
planned that she woke early this morn
| ing with a splitting headache. She
wakencd her husband and asked him to
open window. She saw him rise and at
tempt to move towards a window, but
I he staggered and fell to the floor un-
conscious. Nine. Zola tainted at the same
moment and was, therefore, unable to
| give the alarm.
! Nine Zola does not yet know of her
! husbands death, and it is feared she viii
suffer a relapse when informed of it. Ii
| is thought onight, however, that she will
recover.
| The death of VI. Zoa. which only be-
! came generally known late this after
noon has .aused a great sensation In
! Paris, and this evening there was a con-
stant stream of callers at the Zola resi-
dcnce NJ. Zola's body lies upon a divan
III the center of the spacious drawing
room of his house under n canopy of rare
| and ancient hangings. The body is COW
cred with a sheet and electric lamps
throw their vivid light upon the wax
| like features Of the dead.
The servants of tho Zola household,
not hearing any movement in their mas
| tors apartment this morning, entered the
| bedroom at half past nine o'clock and
found NJ. Zola lying with his head and
shoulders on the floor and his legs on the
bod Doctors were summoned, but they
failed to resuscitate him.
| Nine. Xola was unconscious, but after
prolonged efforts on the part of physl-
clans. she showed signs of life, but it
| was some time before she became con-
| s"ious
! slight odor of carbOnic gas was
| noticed when the servants broke into the
! bed. room From The position of NJ. Zola's
| BODY il was evident that he had tried to
rise. but had been overcome by the fumes
| from the defective stove. The servants
| Immediately opened the bedroom WIN
dows and sent for physicians. COM
! missary Of police was also summoned
It was reported here during the day
that there were evidences of suicide IN
! the death of NJ Zola. Nothing has so far
! developed to substantiate this theory
| and the statement made by Nine. Zola to
| the MAGISTRATE seems to disprove it. M.
! Zola dined with good appetite yester-
! dav morning and the servants OF the
/ household ate of the same dishes. NO
unusual sound was heard from the bed
room during the night. Two little dogs
/ belonging to the Zolas passed the night
! in their masters bed room. They were
! alive this morning 1t is believed they
! owe their lives to the fact that one slept
on the bed and the other on chair, thus
escaping the heavy carbonic gas, which
settled near the floor.
A druggist, who was the first to arrive
at the house to attend M. Zola and his
wife. said:
Il "When l entered the bed room, NJ.
Zola was lying partly on the floor. No
; especial odor likely to cause asphyxia-
/ ton was distingulshable. M. and Nine.
: Zola did not present exclusive symptoms
of asphyxiation. Their faces were con-
torted and their lips were bloodloss, but
not violet colorcd | think the accident
was probably caused by the Zola's in
haling heavy carbonic gas, which lay
! mainly below the level Of the high bed.
! This would account for Nine. Zola S es-
cape Thcy were not suffocated on the
, bed M Zola was awakened by the effects
| OF the fumes and tried to rise but he was
seized with vomiting. tainted, fell to the
floor where he was suffocated. Nine.
Zola also was overcome by the gas, but
to less degree than her husband.
The Commissary of Police who was
summoned to the Zola residence, said
in his report to the Prcfect of Paris:
THE heating stove was not lighted and
there was no odor Of gas. II is believed
that NJ. Zola's death was due to acct