Evening star., 1909-05-24
Mrs. Amiss Found Dead and
Husband Unconscious.
THOUGHT TO BE ACCIDENT
Couple Not Seen Since About s
O'Clock Last Night.
BROTHER EX-POLICE CAPTAIN
Came Here From Staunton, Va, Re-
Gently and Were Preparing to
Return to That City.

With gas steadily flowing from an open
jet in their room at $50 Rhode Island ave-
nue. northwest this morning. Sylvanus
Amiss, a shoemaker. sixty-eight years Of
age. was found in an unconscious condi-
ton, and his wife, Mrs. Mollie Amiss.
sixty-four years Of age. was dead. Mr..
Amiss was removed to the Freedmen's 8
Hospital. where 1t was stated he will
probably recover. Coroner hewitt was
notified, and after making an investiga-
ton stated that he would not issue a GER
tificate regarding the death Of Mrs. Amiss
until he could get statement from Mr..
Amiss.
Mr.. and Mrs Amiss. the former Of whom
is a brother of ex-Capt. Of Police T.
Brooke Aniss: had occupied room at
the house with Mr.. and Mrs. Anderson
Belt for the past seven months Mr
Aniss was seen to leave the house last
evening about 6 o'clock. He was not seen
to enter again. About o'clock last night
and again this morning about O'Clock,
Mrs. Belt told Coroner hewitt, she heard
noise in the front second-story room,
occupied by Mr.. and Mrs. Amiss.
Detected by Landlady.
About 8 o'clock this morning. after Mr..
and Mrs. Belt had finished their breakfast
and the former had left the house, Mrs.
Belt detected the odor of gas escaping
from the front room. Not having seen or
heard anything OF the occupants this
morning, she became alarmed. one ran to
the front door. Officer Leslie Williams of
the eighth precinct was standing at 7th
street and Rhode Island avenue, and was
called by Mrs. Belt and informed OF the
circumstances.
Gated with Capt. Doyle of the eighth pre-
cinct, who instructed him to enter the
room. He returned to the house. and
finding the bedroom door locked, forced
floor, attired in his nightgown, and Mrs
Amiss lying in the bed. In the meantime
Capt Doyle, with several officers, arrived
from the station house In the patro
| wagon. Capt. Doyle discovered that Amiss
| was still breathing, and with the assist
ance of the officers carried him down
| stairs and placed him in the patrO
wagon.
At the hospital Amiss wass Immediately
placed on the operating table. and DR.
William A. WarfieId, with several assist.
ants, worked over him for over an hour
before they were able to revive him. The
ambulance of the Freedmen's Hospital
had also been summoned. and when DR.
NJ. l.. Boyd examined Afs Amiss he
pronounced her dead.
Believed to Be Accident.
It is supposed that the couple retired
to their bed about 8 o'clock last night.
when they were heard moving about in
their room. and that when one of them
turned out the light from a small ia
BILE lamp. the key was turned by acci-
dent. which opened 1t again.
Mr.. Amiss was a native Of Staunton,
Va, where he had been engaged in the
shoemaking business for q number Of
years. About nine months ago he came
to Washington and secured employment
with H. C. Reinhardt, S03 9th street
northwest, a manufacturing shoemaker.
He was employed there until about three
weeks agos when he stated he was going
to return to his former home. Mrs. Amiss
is said to have been a native of Freder-
icksburg, Va. The couple were preparing
to return to Staunton, and it is stated
they were to have left this city today.