Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-04
INDIANS F0UNDDEAD
One of Them Had Blown Out
the Gas.
THEY HAD BEEN WARNED
Probably So Tired and Sleepy That
They Forgot.
MOURNED BY COMPANIONS
One of the Victims Said to Have
Been the Oldest and Most Below
ed Member of His Tribe.
MOURNED BY COMPANIONS

| Pay Baum We Che Walsh kung and
.Ane Way Way Ausl. Chippewa Indians,
| the former nearly 100 years old, and the
| latter. his nephew. sixty years old, were
found dead in bed this morning in their
room at the Halliday House, DID, Sd street
northwest Inhaling Illuminating gas end
ed their lives. One of them had blown
out the light.
They We're found by Ma Chi Skung and
Day Bwa Winding, companions. who &C.
cupied the adjoining room. Rev. +. IL.
Pequette, interpreter, was sent for and
| after Coroner hewitt had ended his in
vestigation of the accident the interpreter
got in communication with the Indian
bureau to make arrangements for send
ing the bodies to the Fort Bots Indian
reservation, Minnesota.
Pay Baum, said to have been the oldest
and most beloved member of his tribe,
| was here in 1856 and was one Of the sign
ers of the Indian treaty of that year. 1t
| was thought by Rev. Mr.. Pequette and
| the hotel proprietor that the aged men
| we'll understood how to operate the gas
| fixture and but little thought was given
| the latter.
| The Indian spoke English f1uently and
was well acquainted with most or the
| methods of his white brothers. He came
| ton about noon, and the four tribesmen
and Interpreter went to the Capitol to see
Senator Clapp. They found the senator
too busy yesterday afternoon to attend
| to them, and early last evening they re-
| turned to the Sd street hotel and retired.
Went to Bed Tired and Sleepy.
1t was said at the hotel this morning
that the Indians were very tired when
they reached the hotel last night. Each
of them carried small bag of oranges
to his room. The aged man and his
nephew occupied a room together while
the others were assigned to the adjon
ing room. 1T was said they were warned
about the danger of the gas, and told not
| TO blow it out. but they were so tired
and sleepy that they probably forgot their
warning.
Last night after retiring to their room.
it is stated. the two victims of the gas
INDUCED in a smoke and ate some of the
fruit they had purchased while on their
way to the hotel from the Capitol. 1t was
probably not later than $50 O'Clock when
they retired. 1t is thought that the aged
man was first to retire, and that the
nephew blew out the gas. Shortly after !
o'clock this morning the two companions
of the gas victims went to their rooms
to call them and were startled at the
sight which was presented.
Gas Jet Found Wide Open.
One gas Jet was wide open. while the
door ana window were closed. They did
not fully comprehend just what was the
matter. and they summoned the propri-
etor and his wife from the office The
latter was first to respond to their APP
peal, and when she reached the room
she found the two Indians living on the
bed and the gas still flowing from the
fixture. When she had stopped the flow
OF gas and opened the window her hus-
band appeared and proceeded to make an
room. He found their bodies were cold and
concluded that death had occurred sew
eral hours earlier.
A call was sent TO the Emergency Hos
pital for physicians. however. but when
a physician reached the hotel he could
only tell what already known The
proprietor of the hotel started to make
an effort to revive the younger of the
two men. He thought the condition of
the body of the nephew indicated he
had been the last one to die.
Pay Baum had removed only his shoes
and coat before retiring. while his neph-
ew wore only his undergo rments, and the
positions of their bodies suggested that
they had moved about the bed while their
life was fast ebbing away Not A sound
was heard in their room by their COM
panions i'm the adjoining room. and the
surviving members Of the quartet sus-
the door leading to the death chamber
and smelled the odor of gas.
Mourned by Companions.
The surviving members of the quartet
and the interpreter were much disturbed
over the fatal accident
Poor chief one of them said. "he
| lived to be old man and gas kill him.
At the Indian Office this afternoon it
was announced that the Office had not
been informed a S to the business which
Pay Baum We Che Walsh kung Ane
Way Way Aush and their companions de-
sired to bring to the attention of Commits
sioner Valentine. The Indian commits
sioner was aware of the fact that the
party was in the city. The Chippew as
| have grievance every now and then, al nd
! Mr.. Valentine. after a conference with
| their representatives. usually straightens
matters out to their satisfaction
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT.