The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-13
NEAR To DEATH
BY AFFIRMATION
WERE DISCOVERED IN TIME.
MAN AND WOMAN FOUND IN UN-
CONSCIOUS CONDITION.

Tor street-StrOng Circumstances
of Acknowledgement Davis ana
Marie Long in Observation-Disclosures
Party Able to Make Statement, but
Police VIII Conduct Thorough In
vestigatiOn To-day.
Timely discovered was all that saved
woman and her companion from
asphyxiation at Hazel Miler's place at
No. 319 Taylor street, west, yesterday
The police will to-day investigate the
matter thoroughly to determine whether
there was any intent of suicide on the
part of either of the occupants of the
room, and it is possible arrests will be
made.
The man who was in the room was
identified by Mr.. Moore as Herbert
M. Davis, of Columbia, S. c. He is a
bartended by profession, but has not
been employed since he has been in Sa-
vannah, about one month. The womans
name is Marie Long. She was known
to the inmates of the house as Marie
Mast
There was a strong circumstance of
suicide in the case when Detectives
Bostick and Stark made an investiga-
ton, but the condition of the man
and woman last night made it impos-
sible to make thorough inquiry into
the case.
Broke Door Open.
According to the story told by Hazel
Miller, the man and woman had been
quarrelling considerably of late. The
night before they were heard quar-
relling again, and it is alleged the
man said he was going to kill the wom-
an and then himself. When the two
failed to appear at the usual hour
yesterday morning, the Miller woman
grew suspicious and called at the room
door.
she received no response, but a
strong small of gas greeted her. She
became alarmed at once, and the door
was broken open. Both were lying
on the bed in an unconscious condi-
ton. DR.. G. M. Norton, DR.. Wal
| ter Norton and DR.. Adams were has
NY called, and for several hours work.
| ed hard to resuscitate the couple.
The man seemed to be the least
anected, and replied at random to
questions put to him. In answer to
question as to whether he had turn
ed on the gas he answered yes. but
1t is not believed he knew what he was
saying. The woman was unconscious
until after o'clock. but began i'm
proving rapidly after that time,
Moved to Hospital.
AT o'clock the woman was carried
to the Park View Sanitarium and the
man was carried to the Savannah
hospital. Both were improving rap
IDLY, and were ordered held until a
thorough investigation could be held.
The opinion of the inmates of the
mouse, and those familiar with the at
tachment of the couple, is that the
man turned the gas on with suicidal
intent. With knowledge of the pet
ty Jealousies that exist between such
people, however, the detectives believe
many OF these rumors are but a part
of the animosity which the women
have exhibited in other ways towards
! the man.
| A friend of his who was with him
| during the afternoon said he was a
member of very prominent family in
| Columbia, S. c. He is young man Of
not over "a years of age.
Quarter Meter Used.
The fact that a quarter meter is
used in the house may explain how the
gas escaped into the room. According
| to a statement which Davis made inst
before being carried to the hospital
the light was burning when he went
to sleep. He says that is the last he
remembers. and that this was about
4:30 o'clock in the morning.
| One possibility is that after the cou-
pie had gone to sleep the gas went
out, the quarters worth burning out,
which shuts off the supply until an
other quarter is dropped into the meter.
| II may have been that when another
quarter was dropped into the meter
later in the day the gas was turned
| on, and as the Jet in the room occu-
pied by the couple was open the gas
soon filled the room.
One strong circumstance to support
this theory is that had the gas been
turned on by the man early in the
morning, both he and the woman
would probably have been dead several
hours before they were discovered All
of the windows in the room were down,
and there was little outlet for the gas.
Was Seeking Divorce.
The woman is evidently from Char
lotte, n. c. A letter which she had
written to a lawyer there concerning a
divorce was found. II was signed
Marie Long" which is presumed to be
her real name. The woman is appar-
entity about % years old, and of rather
prepossessing appearance.
Various rumors of disagreements be-
tween the couple were reported to the
detectives. One was that the woman
had gone out with another man the
night before, which provoked a quar-
rel which came near resulting In a
fight between the two.
At the hospital no one was allowed to
see either of the patients. but there Is
lfftia dnuhf. ~ 10th raonvargpO