The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-10-07
.MR. ARMSTl ING AND WIFE
FOUND LYING UNCONSCIOUS BY
THEIR H0USEKEEPER.

Asphyxlsted by Gas-Ail Enorts TO
Restore Them 90 Consciousness Un-
availing Up TO q Late Hour Last
Night-Not Expected to survive.
The nestor Of carriage makers ofrthis
city, Montgomery Armstrong and his
most estimable wife, are critically Ill
at the family residence, S25 Humphrey
street, as the result of their having in
hailed the fumes from two gas jets in
the house which were accidentally left
open and flowing freely hours before
daylight yesterday morning.
Mrs. Armstrong has been Suffering
with cold for some time past~and it
is supposed that she arose during the
night to get some cough mixture and
failed to shut the gas off thoroughly,
or that she turned on the gas and then
forgot to light 1t and absent mindedly
left it turned on. The gas escaped from
the dining room into the sleeping apart
ments and both Mr.. and Mrs Arrri-
strong inhaled deeply during the long
hours Of the night. Susan, the house
keeper, who has been with the family
for a number Of years, arose as is her
wont about o'clock In the morning.
She sleeps on the top floor of the house
and on coming into the rooms on the
lower floor noticed the strong odor OF
gas and ran at once to the rooms OF
Mr.. Armstrong and his wife only to
find them wholly unconscious from their
terrible experience. She raised an
alarm and the younger son cffthe FAM
ily, Elmer l., who resides on the second
floor, came to her assistance 1t was
found necessary to summon DIR. r. II.
Whittemore and Dr. Whittemore spent
all Of yesterday endeavoring to restore
his patients to consciousness. Every
known means for relieving them from
the effects Of asphyxiation, was resort
ed to, principally that Of administering
oxygen and heart stimulants. but be-
cause both the aged people were auf-
fering from colds and also by reason
of their advanced age, both being
eighty-two years old, the work was
very difficult and it is very doubtful ie
they recover.
Mr.. Armstrong is one OF the Oldest
carriage builders in the state and came
to New Haven in 1897. his first work
being that of a journeynan blacksmith
and completing a knowledge of his
trade. He was employed for some years
by the late George Hoadley, who then
conducted a carriage shop on East
street, foot Of Wooster. After several
years Mr.. Armstrong started in busi-
ness for himself and had a shop on
Temple street near the railroa adAcrossing
at a point about oDDosite St Mary,s
church. He later moved lowers 4 own III
Temple street. between Grown and
| George streets, where he was located In
| the old Gilbert building. During the
time of the civil war Mr.. Armstrong
built great many Of the heavy, wagons
which were used by the army He re-
mained on Temple street until the early
seventies, when the present factory, 49,
Chapel street near Wallace street, was
constructed, and the two sons, Edward
M. and Elmer l., were taken into the
| business under the firm name of NJ.
| Armstrong & Co. This business has
been very successful and Mr.. Arm
strong has by his industry, thrift, strict
attention to business and his straight
! forward dealings amassed a considera-
Bile sum and the firm now enjoys a
very fine business. principally among.
the fine livery trade of New York city.
Mr.. Armstrong has always led very
quiet unostentatious life, never taking
an active part in the Administration OF
| the affairs of the city, and Is member
Of but very few secret societies or fra
ternal organisations. He and his wife
have been for many years ardent .mem-
| bers Of the First Baptist church. Mrs.
Armstrong was formerly Miss Alling,
daughter of the late Truman Alling, af-
ter whom the town Of Allingtown has
| its name. There were besides the sons
already mentioned daughter, Mrs.
Hyla Davies, who is the wife Of q mis-
sionary. He was stationed In Alaska
for several years and Is now engaged
in his work in California. The daugh-
ter paid quite an extended visit to her
parents the past summer.
AT a late hour last evening DIR. Whit
temore said that the chances Of the re-
covery of both Mr.. and Mrs. Armstrong
were quite small: Mr. Armstrong;
chances seemed a little the more favor
/ able.
Two trained nurses were with the pa
tients last night.