The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-28
MYSTERIOUS DEATH
AT NASHUA, N. H.
Irving H. Phillips, the Victim, and Has
Wife Was Seriously injured Late
Last Night-Poliee Are In-
vestigating.

Nashua, n. H.. July 2s.- Irving Il
Phillips. prosperous confectionery
manufacturer 81 this city and Iaconia,
~ H., is dead and his wife probably
fatally injured as the result Of a mystic.
rlons fire az thair iome. lls Walnut
street, last night.
shortly before 10 o'clock the neigs
bors heard report, followed by crash
and womans screams An instant
later Mrs Phillips rushed from the house
envsloped in flames and crying i am
dying" She was seized and the flames
extinguished
On the arrival Of the department lit.
tie fire was found but Mr. PHILIPPE was
discovered lifeless. seated IN chair il.
the pantry. He was covered with blood
and his hair was slightly burned his
head resting against a window, from
which the curtain had been burned. The
window frame and the back Of the chair
in which the body rested was charred
and this was the extent Of the fire
A trail of blood from the chair where
the body was seated through the kitch-
en- led to the dining room. which was
a scene Of disorder. One chair was over
turned, and the tableeloth, silver and
dishes lay in a pile on the floor.
Police Captain James Cleary and pa-
trolmen A. w. Brown and Alphonse
Lefehyre began an investigation.
The statement Of neighbors that the
report Of an explosion had been heard
led the police to look for a lamp or res
volver, but neither was found. in face
Of this the fire which enveloped Mrs.
Phillips, and vet did such little dam
age to he house, and the fact that Mr..
Phillips apparently died Of some kind
Of wounds. puzzled the police. The dis.
order in the dining room also could
not be accounted for. The gas range In
the kitchen was lighted and the water
in the bath tub in a bathroom open
ing from the dining room, was running.
although both Mr. and Mrs Phillips
were fully dressed.
Mrs Phillips was hurried to ST. Jo-
seph hospital in Fire Chief Whtney's
buggy. She was burned on the face,
arms and breast, but her corsets saved
her body. She was conscious while on
the way to the hospital and continu
ously asked if Mr.. Phillips was dead.
She was in such state, however, thar
she could not tell what had happened
Mr. and Mrs. Phillips were seen go
ing home together a short time before
the fire and both were apparently in the
best Of spirits They were married less
than year ago Mrs Phillips was Miss
Cora Simpson and was formerly an en-
poye In her husbands Nashua store.
After their marriage they went to live
in the house Occupied by his father and
mother, Mr.. and Mrs Oliver Phillips.
the younger couple living on the second
floor.
Mr. Phillips parents and his two chill
dren by q former marriage are at Weirs,
n. IT., for an outing. Scattered on the
floor in the dining room were letters
and postals written in boyish writing
from Mr.. Phillips son to his father
An examination by the medical referee
showed no wound of a serious nature
and it Is the theory that Mr.. Phillips
died from gas poisoning or q gas ex-
plosion in which he inhaled the flames
On the way to the hospital Mrs. Phil
lips is reported to have said "Why
didn't | go home earlier, he told me to
come at 10 o'clock" This does not coin
eide with the statement that the two
were seen going home together
The police state that everything rests
with the possibility Of getting state.
ment from Mrs Phillips.