The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1904-01-02
Death by AsphyXiation

~
Christ Kolstad aud Christ None,
two young ScandinaN ians from Iron
River were asphyXiated by gas at
Courtuey's hotel on Broadway be-
tween 10 o'clock Christmas night and
y O'Clock Saturday night.
The affair was purely accidental,
the chances being that one or the
other OF the men blew out the gas
They made a fight for the lives after
they discovered that something was
wrong but were then too tor gone to
to effect their escape.
The dead mcu were discovered
shortly Before midnight on Saturday
md Or O'Briru, who was called stat
cd that tine men had at that time
probtbiy been dead l. to 10 hours,
Both the men had apparently uu.
drcrsed aud gone to bed. Some time
later they were awakened by the gas
and il was then that they apparently
made their fight for lite. None went
toward the window and the other
man toward the door. Both appar.
entity pitched forward TOO much over
come by the gas to be able to open
elth ~ the window or the door. The
pas let was turned full on and the
room was tight This accounts tor
the shghtuess of the smell Of gas IN
the building
Anon Erickson was with the men
when they went TO the room FRIDAY
night but his leaving the hotel short
~ afterward probably saved his life
lie cannot speak a word OF English.
The story told by Erickson was to
the effect that the men came IN from
lion River on the night train, Christ
mas day. They had their supper
took one drink and after looking oveI
the city went to the hotel, Erick OF
thinks that they went to the hote
about 10 O. o'clock.
All three men secured one room at
the hotel. They told Night CIerl
Jerome that they were anxious 10 p'
together Kolstad doing the talking
ana apparently looking after the ar
raugements, They registered anc
were assigned to their room, Ana al
the hotel it was stated that tne use
of gas was explained to them and
they said they knew about it,
Erickson says that when they went
tip stairs he did not feel like retiring
for the night and he went out for n
time He wandered around ana mn
allv made an effort to find his way
hack to the hotel. He was unsuccesS
ful IN this but reached the Grand hote'
a block farther west He enqulrod IN
his simple way for the boys, looked
at the register and firally went L"
bed this being about l;15 SATURDAY
morning. Erickson arose early SAL
urday morning, went out ana com
menced to hunt for bis companions
whom he lost the night before He
speut Satu day in the search but was
unsuccessful and that night he went
hack to Iron River. Monday he
heard of the death of his companions
and with Karl kOlstad cousin OF one
of the dead men, he returned TO Su
perior next morning to iind the bodies
at the undertaking parlors at Coroner
Downs
Taking Erickson's story with all the
other facts the police and authorltleS
are convinced that the AFFAIR was
parety acciudental In fact there mas
never been hardly a suspiclon OF mur-
der. The only injury on the body OF
either of the men was one On the
cheek Of one whore he apparently
struck the wall when falling TO the
floor
the dead men were discovered just
before i2 5r.o,D. saturday night 81
-mp m-.aGriD WIS supposed that
tuemu Juhr room tm dead o'rs