New-York tribune., 1910-05-25
Brother Denies Charles Courier
Dickinson Perished by His
Own Hands.
ORGANIZED CARNEGIE TRUST
rinancier Is Said to Have Sue
cumbed to Effects of Labora-
tory Fumes Inhaled
in Scranton.


ing poisonous gases in laboratory at
Scranton, Penn. on May 16. while
watching a hemical experiment on the
imitation Of V. w. b. Hedgepeth, vice.
president of the Tippecanoe Securities
company. OF that city, and an old friend
ef the banker.
In a dispatch from Scranton late last
night Mr. Hedgepeth was quoted as say
inc that fumes from acids used in one of
,he experiments in the laboratory there
-sere responsible for the illness which re-
s,,1ted in the death of Mr.. Dickinson.
Nr Hedgepeth himself was Frustrated
&C the result of inhaling the fumes. and
ros been in bed for more than week
q brought Mr.. Dickinson and his
brother here said Mr. Hedgepeth, 'es-
,eciaIly 10 see an experiment Of Dr.
> " Lanse's on a non-corrosive metal
,,tich he is perfecting. Mr.. Dickinson
nss interested in the metal and in
tended to promote ii if the invention
rro,ed practicable. During the eX-
,.erirent the fumes were strong and
caused US 10 cough.
..The Dickinsons intended 10 leave
,h.t night for New York, but c. c.
dickinson. like myself, was too i'll to
make the journey 1t is not true that
DIR. Lange was affected. 1 do not know
She nature of the fumes which caused
our illness
The unusual circumstances surround
ing Mr.. Dickinson's death gave rise TO re-
ports that he had committed suicide, but
his brother. Stanton c. Dickinson, said
that these rumors were ridiculous and
entirely without foundation.
The Visit to Scranton.
NV brother and L. said Stanton G
Dickinson woh is treasurer of the car
rerie- Trust Company, were invited by
an old friend of my brother, V. w b.
Hedgepeth. to visit him for the purpose
of 7-i+nessfrie chemical experiment or
xcr,e kind. lust what ii was / don't
know because my brother was taken
VIOLENTLY i'll before 1t was oyer. and We
had 10 take him away and L never sa"
the end of It and did not understand
Nhst IL was about. 1 think, however,
that At had some connection with some
industry I'm which Mr.. Hedgepeth
wanted TO get my brother hnanclaiiy
interested
We arrived in Scranton week ago
Nondsv. and in company WIN MI
He6repeth we went 80 the laboratory OF
ny vanEe TO witness the experiment
NJ brother stood close by while the ex-
,erirer,t was being conducted, but L, not
being so much interested, STOOD sunni
distance away and did not see much Oh
what was done, but j know that In the
course Of the experiment some kind OF
ras Vas formed: what il was don l
know. but nv brother inhaled some OF IL
end was overcome.
We had to carry him back to MS
hotel. where he became violently ILL., So
much so shat We were unable TO return
10 New York that night, as we had
Manned. I bro:.-ht him back on the
following dav, hut he was still very i'll,
and his family physician. DIR. James r.
English. called DIR. Delafield and Dr.
Janeuay in consultation They decided
that IL would be best to remove him to
hospital and on Wednesday he WAS
tsken 10 ST. Luke's.
The gases he inhaled seemed to have
poisoned his system, and his lungs were
upHgested. and in spite of all that could
he done for him he grew steadily worse
and died at 4:15 O'Clock this morning.
Brother Not Affected BY Gas.
Mr. Dickinson added that he himself
Was not affected by the gas generated
iE the experiment. which he attributed TO
his standing so far away. DR. Lange, the
chemist. he said, did not appear 20 suffer
airy i'll effect. but he understood that Mr.
Hedgepeth also mad been made i'll. He
stated that there had been no explosion
sT.anything of that kind during the con-
duet of the experiment and that every
thing in connection with it appeared to
be proceeding smoothly UP TO the time
his brother was overcome.
What chemicals were used in the ex-
pertinent he did not know, and the gas.
whatever il was. he said, must have been
cclorless, because he was looking on and
saw nothing, although he detected very
disagreeable odor.
Dr. James. R English, of No. 50 Cen
trsl Park West. the family physician who
attended Mr. Dickinson after he arrived
In this city from Scranton, made state
ment to a Tribune reporter at his home
last night, in which he told what ne
knew about the case.
Mr. Dickinson arrived in this city on
Tuesday evening last. and on "Wednesday
afternoon went down TO his Office in the
carnegie Trust Company, apparently
suffering no i'll effects from his expe-
hence. On Wednesday night, however,
he became i'll and was taken to st.
I-Aie's Hospital, where he was attacked
with pneumonia and nephritis on Thurs
Gay night.
Charged with Zinc Fumes.
When the nature of Mr.. Dickinson's s
iilhess was learned, DIR. Lange, of Scran-
'oh' who had conducted the experiment
MS laboratory, was summoned TO TINS
ny IN an effort to learn the nature of
the gases which Mr. Dickinson had in
eo He arrived here on Thursday
isht and said that the gases arose
'in an experiment with metals. and
'0i tney were heavily charged with zinc
fumes"
English added that he was told
heosepeth was also affected by the
ess fumes and is now i'll at his home
Seniinued third page.