The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1905-01-06
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT
A Whole Family Suffocated.. But One
Escapes to Tell the Awful Tale

I'm Thussday evening Of last week
two ladies Mrs. Carmichael ana Mrs.
Toland living it the northwest part oi
this city called At the home OF N.Y.
and Mrs. Jesse Rupert, living on North
Forest Ave. They knocked and re-
celvinp no answer. opened the door
and walked In. They were immedi'
ately confronted by Wild eyed and
happard woman who ordered Them
away and at the same time were al
most suffocated by poisonous gases
The ladies rushed out OF the mouse
and their screams soon brought the
neic hbors who opened the doors and
windows and enter ed the house.
There was heart rending sight.
Mrs. Rupert, who had been sick for
some days and under the doctors care,
was living in bed unconscious and
breathing very heavy, Mr.. Rupert her
husband, laid across the foot OF the
he'd and across her feet, stone dead.
In a chair near the stove 10 another
room sat Cecil Rupert, a young girl OF
16, with her head dropped over her
shoulder, dead. While on the floor
laid Ethel, her sister, alive, but help
less and apparently unconscious.
Doctors were hastily summoned and
every effort was made TO resuscitate
Mrs. Rupert and Ethel. 1t was soon
found that Mrs. Rupert was beyond
hone and she died before morning
Ethel was taken to the hospital ano
has since recovered sufficiently to tell
the horrible story as far as she can
remember 1t.
She says, "Cecil and l went to the
the house late Wednesday morning.
1t must have been about eleven
O'Clock when we get there. Brother
went to the meat shop to get some
meat, and went to work getting
dinner. When he came back he COM
planned of feeling sick and went ana
laid down on the bed. Jettie Mrs
Rupert) was much worse too, so Cecil
went I'D to Mrs. Carmicheal's store
to telephone to the doctor. pared
some potatoes and set them on the
stove to cook. When Cecil came back
she sat down in the chair before the
fire. and don't remember that she
said or did anything more.
That's about all l remember except
that was awful sick and l rolled
around on the floor. When l was
conscious my one idea was that L
must fight fire. My clothes got SO hot
that plucked at them and pulled
them away from my flesh to keep them
from burning me. l die not entirely
regain my consciousness at any time.
When 1 came to it was only partially
and I seemed to be struggling In a
nightmare. / remember when the
women opened the door they seemed
part of my terrible dream and / flew
at seem thinking they were witches
aud bidding them be gone.
remember the crowd and tie
confusion afterward, but the recol-
lection of all these things is as faint
memory of dream, and it is only now
and then that l can recall any part OF
them."
Jesse and Mrs. Rupert were young
married people. Mr.. Rupert working
in the oil field. Ethel and Cecil were
sisters of Mr.. Rupert, Ethel Is ant
Cecil l6. They had been keeping
house for their father in this city fo
some time.
Their father VISA called to Coffeyvill'
on oil business and they went 10 sta.
with their brother in his absence ant
to help Look after the sick wife.
They were fine people and univer
ally respected. Cecil was a bipI
school pupil. or the four in T.
house only one escaped.
They were poisoned by the dead,
fumes from burning gas escspr
into the house. There is flue in Il,
house with a pipe hole on each side
In setting the stove, or 10 some othe
manner, the pipe had been pushe'
through 50 far that it shut off tn
draft and poured the fatal gas know
as monoxide $50 say the doctOrsl int
the house till the occupants fell owe
unconscious.
According TO the story of Mis-
Ethel, and corroborating clrcum
stances show that she must be right
About noon on Wednesday they a
became unconscious and staid IN tina
foul gas till six o'clock Thursda
evening with the stove burning an
throwing out the poisoness fumes a
the time. The fact that saved Ethel
life seems to be that she swooned an
fell 20 the floor where the air wa
purer and CHANGED to be near windo'
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