Evening star., 1908-01-29
CAUSES DEATH OF TWO
Illuminating Gas Escapes in
Sleeping Apartment.
SHOCKING DISCOVERY MADE
Landon H. and Russell S. Brent,
Cousins, Dead in Bed.
RESULT OF ASPHYXIATI0N
SHOCKING DISCOVERY MADE
RESULT OF AsPHYx1ATIoN
Believed That Faulty Jet Permitted
Escape of Gas While Vic
tins Slept.

tins Slept.
While asleep last night at their home.
M1 C street southwest. Landon RI.
Brent. fourteen years OF age, and Rus
sell Stewart Brent. twenty-one years OF
age were asphyxated by Illuminating
gas. Their bodies. side by side in the
he'd were discovered about $50 O'clock
this morning by tire mother of Langdon.
The two young men are cousins.
No definite arrangements for the Gou-
BILE funeral have been made. but it has
been decided that the bodies will he taken
to Tye River. Nelson county. Va, for
burial. the former home of the Brent
family.
The two young men were in the habit
of sleeping together In a small room in
the rear OF the second floor Of the home
of Cameron Brent plasterer. and the
father of Landon. Russell had obtained
work In the city and had been living for
several months with his cousin.
Landon. the younger of the two boys.
was last seen alive about 0 o'clock last
night. About that hour he said Good
night" to his parents and his brot hers
and sisters and went upstairs to bed An
hour and half later Russell decided to
go to bed. and he found the younger boy
sound asleep. As Russell was anxious
to go early to work this morning. he
he was afflicted. Several home remedies
were applied by Mrs. Brent. and, with the
hope that he would be feeling much bet
ter this morning and would surely be
able to go to his work. he retired for the
night. The window in the little room
was not opened. probably because the
young man did not wish to risk catching
more cold, and he closed the door tightly.
Particulars Conjectured.
What happened in that little room be-
tween 1880 o'clock last night and $50
o'clock this morning can only be con-
jectured. At the latter hour Mrs. Brent
arose. dressed and started down stairs
to prepare breakfast for the family. AS
she stepped into the upper hallway she
detected the odor of gas. She started at
once search to determine where it was
escaping. Failing TO locate any other
source she went to the room in which
the two boys were sleeping.
As she pushed open the door she was
met by rush of gas and she jumped
back. her heart beating for the boy who
was in that gas-filled room. E3sr fears
for his safety. however, compelled her
to enter the ROOM As she approached
the gas jet In the dark she lighted a
match. There was q slight explosion.
ly. This furnished enough light to en-
able Mrs. Brent to see about the room
She turned to look at the two boys in
the bed. Their faces were as white as
the bed sheets, she noticed, and neither
moved.
She rushed to the bedside and put her
hand against the cheek OF the older boy
Quickly she drew 1t aside, for the flesh
was cold. Hoping against hope that her
own boy was still alive. she pressed her
hand on his cheek, and thought she de-
tected that 1t was not as cold as that Of
Russell.
Mrs. Brent ran from the ROOM crying
to awaken her husband She quickly told
him of her discovery, and asked him to
go into the room to see If he could do
anything. The window of the room was
quickly opened, and Mr.. Brent picked up
the limp body of his son and carried it
to another room. which was free from
the gas.
'Landon. Landon." he called many
times. as he swayed the boy in his arms
and tried to arouse some signs OF life in
the body.
The members Of the family were thor
oughly awake BY this time, and within
short time neighbors came in to offer
help. One Of them called up the Emer-
gency Hospital by telephone and asked
to have the ambulance sent at once Dr..
Heflebower responded. but when he made
an examination he declared the young
men were beyond human aid. and their
bodies were not removed from the house.
Coroner's Certificate.
The police, OF the fourth precinct were
notified in a short time. and policeman
was sent 10 take charge Of the bodies
until the coroner arrived to make an in
vestigation. He found that death had
been accidental. and gave a certificate ac-
cordingly
When the announcement was made by
the doctor that both of the young men
were dead. the members of the family be-
came almost frantic with grief. The neigh
bors We're unable to console them. Lam
don's three sisters. Norma. Mamie and
Christine. and one brother Randolph, sur
vive him. The father has lived in the
city for several years. and Is plasterer
by trade.
Russells home is in Nelson county. Va,
and his father and mother live there.
They we're notified this morning Of the
death OF their son. and 1t is expected that
they will come here to convey his body
to their home. The young mans brother,
Arliss Brent, lives at 1912 c street south
west. He was told Of the death early this
morning. and went to take charge of hts
brothers body.
The conjectures as to what happened to
cause the asphyxiation of the two boys
are many. The supposition is, however.
that Russell failed to completely turn off
the gas when he retired. The valve which
turns the gas on and Off. it is
declared. works hard, and sometimes
the flame will go out even before
the valve is entirely closed. Other mem
bers of the family say that. with the
varying pressure Of the gas. it has been
found that the flame will go out and yet.
with no change in the valve, 1t can be
lighted a lpf ia
believed that happened last night
Russell, II is explained. worked hard
during the day. and because of this and
his illness he was unusually tired when he
retired. That might have made him less
careful than usual about the gas fixture.
II is thought. and considerable quantity
OF gas began to flow from the jet after
he went to bed and to sleep.