The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-13

Mrs. Richards recalls that she de-
tected the odor of the fumes when she
entered the back door of the house.
Entering the front room she saw, in
the dim twilight the body of her faith
er-in-law lying beside a chair. Lying
near the window she found the body OF
her husband, he evidently having met
death as he struggled to open the
window.
Terror stricken, she called for help
and James Nailor, who resides next
door, responded He carried the bodies
of the two men into the yard, in hope
that death might not have occurred,
and the fresh air would revive them.
1t was not until the doors and win
dows had been opened and the fumes
allowed to escape that the gas was
lighted and a further search revealed
the body of the older Mrs. Richards ly
ing on bed in the bedroom. She was
dead at that time
Had Been Dead Many Hours.
DR. c. B. Van Horn and Dr. H. H.
Keith, the last named the county cor
Oner, were called and after a short ex-
animation declared death had occurred
several hours before. Death was de-
clared to be due to aSphyxiation and it
is believed that all three persons were
asleep when over come by gas fumes.
The theory is advanced that when the
elder Richards fell off the chair upon
which he sat the noise awakened young
Richards. Realizing that the fumes
were about to cause the death of his
father. it is believed the young man
was completely overcome while trying
to raise the window beside which his
body lay when found. The fact that
the bodies of the two men were warmer
than the body of the older Mrs. Rich
ards is accounted for by 'thefact that a
gas stove in the room in which the two
men were found was burning full blast
while there was mo- fire IN the room in
which the body of Mrs. Richards was
found.
According to Nailor and. Mrs. Rich
ards the house was full of gas fumes
when first entered It had been. closed
tightly, none of the windows or doors
being open.
Richards, DIR. Keith came upon the
first evidence that robbery had been
committed after the unfortunate trio
had met death. He found a pocketbook
lying at the foot of the bed in bed
room adjoining the parlor. 1t was open
and contained only three keys and a
scrap of paper. Mrs. Richards, widow
of the younger Richards, declared her
father-in-1aw was in the habit of car
rying from SIS to $40 in his purse and
DR.. Van Horn recalled that when he
last saw the older Richards alive the
latter had nearly 500 and had offered to
pay him for attendance upon some of
the sick members of the family.
Thomas P. Richards. whose widow
found the three dead bodies upon her
return to her home, was 26 years old.
He was an employe of the Santa F'e,
working in the air brake department of
the shops.
John Richards was a retired engineer,
formerly employed by the Santa Fe He
was 72 years old. He returned about a
month ago from a visit to relatives in
the east and with his wife made his
home with their son and his wife at
1925 Lincoln street, the scene of yester-
days tragedy. They have another son,
Walter. who is 81 years. and a daugh-
ter who is Mrs. Frank Boley of Waka-
rusa. Both were notified of the tragedy
and arrived in Topeka last night