The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-03
ASPHYxATIOR IS GIVEN AS THE
CAUSE Of DEATH
A RUMOR OF SUICIDE
lola Wa. Al.o I'm IA Tn
conscious Condition when Found.
She Has Not Yet Been Informed OF
Her Husbands Death-The News
Has aused a Sensation In Paris.
Nothing Ha. Developed to suhstan-
tiate the suicide T~heory-It q. BE-
Iieved That M Death Was Due Ia
Accidental Poisoning by Drugs.


Paris, September eS.-Emile Zola. the
novelist, who gained additional promi-
nence in recent years because OF his de-
fence OF the Jews and OF former Captain
Dreyfus. vas found dead in his Paris
home this morning. A~sphyxiation, re-
sulting from the fumes from \ stove In
his bed room. Is given as the cause OF
death.
NJ. Zola and his wife retired at 10
o'clock last night. Madame Zoia was
seriously i'll when the room was broken
into this morning. At about noon b
was removed to a private hospital.
where she recovered consciousness for a
short time and was able briefly to ex-
plain 10 a magistrate what had happen
ed. NJ. and Nine lola returned TO Paris
from their country house IT Medan yes
terday. Owing to a sudden spell OF cold
weather., the heating In their bed room
was ordered to be lighted. TIL, stove
burned badly and the pipes OF the stove
proved TO be out OF order.
To the magistrate, Nine Zola explain
ed that she woke early this morning
with a splitting headache. She waken-
ed her husband and asked him to open n
window. She saw him Else and attempt
10 move towards n window, but he stag
gered and fell TO the fioor unconscious
Mime Zola tainted at the same moment
and was. therefore. unable To give the
alarm.
Mime lola does not Yet know OF her
husbands death , and IL Is feared she
may suffer a relapse when informed OF
il. 1t is thought tonight, however, that
she will recover.
The death OF NJ. Zola, which only be-
came generally known late this after
noon, has caused a great sensation in
Paris and this evening there was n con-
slant stream OF callers at The lola resi-
dence. NJ. Zola's body lies pon a d.
a in the centre of the spacious draw
ing room of his house under n canopy of
rare and ancient hangIngs. The body ia
covered with a sheet and electric lamps
throw their vivid light upon he wax
like features OF the dead.
The servants of the lola household.
not hearing any movement In their
masters apartment this morning. enter
ed the bed room at half past 9 O'Clock
and found Nj. Zola lying with mis- head
and shoulders on the floor and his legs
on the bed. Doctors were summoned,
but they failed to resuscitate him:
| Nine lola was unconscious but after
prolonged efforts on the part OF the ply
sicians, she showed signs of life. but it
was some time before she became on
| scious.
A slight odo Of carbonic gas was
noticed when the V broke into
the bed room. From the position OF NJ.
Zola's body, II was evident that he had
tried to rise, but had been overcome by
the fumes from the defective o
The servants Immediately opened the
bed room windows n cent for physi-
clans. A commissary of police was also
summoned.
It was reported here during the day
that there were evidences of suicide i'm
the death OF NJ. Zola. Nothing has 50
far developed to substantiate this
theory. n the statement made by Nine
lola to the magistrate, seems TO dis
prove it. NJ. lola dined with a good ap-
petite yesterday evening n the SER
wants 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.
Il Is believed they owe their lives to the
fact that one slept on the bed and the
other Or a chair, both escaping the
heavy carbonic gas which settled near
a floor.
A druggist who was tile first to arrive
at the house to attend NJ. lola and his
wife said:
When I entered the bed room, NJ.
lola was lying partly on the floor. No
especial odor likely TO cause asphyxia-
ton was distinguishable. NJ. and Nine
lola did not present exclusive symp-
| toms of asphyxiation. Their faces were
contorted and their lips were ~hloodless.
but not violetly coiored. I think the
accident was probably caused by the
ola inhaling heavy carbonic gas.
which lay mainly below the level of the
high bed. This would account for Nine.
Zola's escape. They we're not suffocated
on the bed. N. lola was awakened by
the effect Of the fumes and tried to
rise. but he was seized with vomiting,
tainted, fell to the floor. where he was
s~uffocated. Mime. ZoIa also was over
come by the gas but 10 a less degree
than her husband"
The commissary OF police. who was
summoned to the lola residence, said In
his report TO the project Of Paris:
The heating stove was not lighted
and there was no odor Of gas. II is be-
accidental poisoning by drugs. Two lit
tie dogs ound in the bed room are
alive"
In a second report the comm.ssary OF
police endorsed the medical opinion that
NJ ola death was accidental and due
to asphyxination.
DIR. Leyrmand. who attended n. and
Mime Zola IL quoted as saying I'm an in
terview published this afternoon that
the heating stove was still arm when
he entered the room.
The prefect of Paris has ordered the
city architect to examine the bedroom
in which NJ. lola died and has issued in
structions that an analysis be made OF
his blood and Of the atmosphere IN his
room.
ID. lola had been resting from liter
airy work since he finished his book
III a1Tnl e0UL It'll - -Lknl q. h>f-- -
lished serialIy In the Aurore.