The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-09-30
WIFE NARROWLY ESCAPES
Carb0nic Gas from Stove
 Fills Bedroom.
Rumored That the Famous Defender of Dreyfus Had Committed Suicide, But This Proves
 to Be Unfounded.

Paf1S, Sept. @.-Emile Zola, the novel; | ist. who gained additional prominence in | recent years because of his defense of the Jews and of former Captain Dreyfus, was found dead in his Paris house this morning. Asphyxiation resulting from l the fumes from a stove in his bedroom is given as the cause of death. M. Zola and his wife retired at t o'clock last right Madame Zola was SC. ! riously i'll when the room was broken | into this morning. At about noon she was removed to private hospital. where she recovered consciousness for a short time and was able briefly to explain to a | magistrate what had happened. M. and Mime. zola returned to Paris from ! their country house at Medan yesterday. Owing to a sudden spell of cold weather, | the heating stove in their bedroom was | ordered to be lighted. The stove burned badly and the pipes of the stove are said | to have been out of order.
 Mime. Zola's Statement. To the magistrate Mme Zola explained that she woke early this morning with splitting headache. She awakened her husband and asked him to open a win dow. She saw him rise and attempt tc | move towards a window but he stag. gered and fell to the floor unconscious Mime. Zola fainted at the same moment | and was, therefore, unable to give tho 1 alarm.
 Mime. zola does not yet know of hel hVtah ho pI to ct.. | may suffer a relapse when informed o 1t. It. is thought tonight, however. tha l she will recover.
 The death of M. Zola, which became generally known only late this after. noon. has caused a great sensation ir Paris, and this evening there was a con. stant stream of callers at the Zola resi- dence. M. Zola's body lies on a divan in the center of the spacious drawing room of his house under a canopy of rare and ancient hangings The body is covered with a sheet and electric lamps throw their vivid light upon the wax-like fea- lures of the dead.
 The servants of the Zola household. not hearing any movement in their mas ter's apartment this morning. entered the room at half past 8 o'clock, and found M. Zola lying with his head and shoul- ders on the floor and his legs on the bed. Doctors were summoned, but they failed to resusitate him. Mime. Zola was unconscious, but after prolonged efforts on the part of physicians. she showed signs of life, but 1t was some time be- fore she became conscious
 Odor of Carbonic Gas.
 slight odor of carbonic gas was mo- ticed when the servants broke into the bedroom. From the position of M. Zola's haf hn had kEia tn rise, but had been overcome by the fumes from the defective stove. The servants opened the bedroom windows and sent for physicians. A commissary 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 Mime. Zola to the magistrate seems to disprove 1t.
 NJ Zola dined with a good appetite yes- terday evening 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 bedroom. They were alive this morning. It is believed they owe their lives to the fact that one slept on the bed and the other on a 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:
 When I entered the bedroom M zola was lying partly on the floor. No espe- cial odor likely to cause asphyxiation was distinguishable. M. and Mme Zola did not present exclusive symptoms of as- phyxiation. Their faces were contorted and their lips were bloodless. but not vio- let-colored. I think the accident was probably caused by the Zolas inhaling heavy carbonic gas which lay mainly be- low the level of the high bed. This would account for Mime Zola's escape. They were not suffocated on the bed. M. Zola was awakened by the effects of the gas and tried to rise. but he was seized with vomiting, tainted and fell to the floor, where he was suffocated.
 Mime. Zola's Escape.
 Mime. Zola also was overcome by tho gas. but to a less degree than her hus- band"
 The commissary of police who was summoned to the Zola residence said in his report to the Prefect of Paris:
 "The heating stove was not lighted. and there was no odor of gas It is believed that M. Zolas death was due to accden- tal poisoning by dlrGs. Two little dogs found in the bedroom are alive"
 In a second report. the commissary of police endorsed the medical opinion that M. Zolas death was accidental and due to asphyXiation.
 Dr. Leyrmand, who attended M. and Mime Zola, is quoted as saying in an interview published this afternoon that the heating stove was still warm when he entered the room. The Prefect of Paris has ordered the city architect to examine the bedroom in which NJ. Zcla died, and has issued in- structions that analysis be made of his blood and of the atmosphere in his room.
 NJ. ZOla has been resting from literary work since he finished his book called The Truth" which Is being published in serial form in The Aurore.
 The obituary notices pay tribute to M. zola's high literary talent. The Temps says French letters have suffered a loss which will be keenlx. felt. The newspa-