Norwich bulletin., 1910-04-08
Coroner Investigates Westerly Deaths
Chas r. Hood and His Father-inLaw Henry Larrow Die
After Drinking Whi.key for Ilness-Fod Carriers
Walking Delegate Arrested-Sudden Death of Mrs
Albert lucker-Fire District Meeting

Two deaths occurred in Pawcatuck
Thursday morning under peculiar and
suspicious circumstances, the real facts
of which will not be positively known
until Coroner Franklin H Brown of
Norwich completes the investigation
which was commenced Thursday aft
erneon, but is believed to have been
are Charles R. Hood, aged SO, and his
father-in-law, Henry Larrow, aged So,
who resided at 81 West Broad street in
the tenement over Patrick Barretts
shoe shop, through the windows of
which a bullet was fired by some I'M
known person last Saturday noon.
Mr.. Larrow and wife, and a daugh-
ter soon to receive medical attention,
and Mr. Hood and wife and an adopted
young daughter reside together in the
same tenement. Last Tuesday even
ing AIR Hood. who was employees by
H T. Kenyon & Co. as a teamster, re-
all over his body. He sent his father
in-law. Larrow, to Westerly drug
store for quart of whiskey. Hood
poured some in a glass. then filed the
glass with hot water and sweetened it.
and according to the story told by
Mrs. Hood, he drank it and went to
bed. Mrs. Hood and her mother and
another married sister sat UP all night
with the other sister, who was sick.
Mr.. Hood awakened early in the morn
ing and said he would not go to work
as he felt very sick. According to
Mrs. Hood, he vomited nearly all day
Tuesday, but so far as she knew he
took no more whiskey, although it was
handy if he desired a drink.
Mr. LarrOW took q drink of the whiS-
key when he brought it to the house,
took a very small drink, saying that
it did not taste just right MIR. Lar
row worked Wednesday on the Crow
ley place in Wequetequock, and when
u a y-c%r rp.y7 q farS a nj
planned of being sick, and soon there
after he commenced to von1it.
About o'clock Wednesday evening
DR.. +. I. Payne was called to attend
Hood, and treated him for intestinal
trouble, warning the household to keep
close watch of the patient and to call
him if any change came. Early on
Thursday morning, at / O'Clock, Officer
Casey was called in and DR.. Payne no
titled. When the doctor arrived Hood
was dead.
Mrs. Hood expressed regret that she
had not notified his parents in White
Rock that Mr.. Hood was sick, declar-
ing that she would be accused OF pois-
oning him, in order to get the insur-
ance money and that her mother, too,
would be accused of wrong doing.
DR.. Payne was given permission by
Mrs. Hood to make an autopsy. AT
that time he had no suspicion of any
thing criminal in connection with the
death. Drs- Smith and Pagan were
y.
were found to contain numerous pin
hole perforations and the physician was
not satisfied as to the cause
The autopsy was hardly completed
when there was a call for DR. Payne to
visit Mr.. Larrow, who was in another
room. DR.. Payne was so engaged that
he could not respond and Drs. Pagan
and Smith visited the patient. They
reported THAT he was dying, and a few
minutes thereafter he was dead.
Thi- was at o'clock Thursday morn
similar circumstances, and within a
few hours of each other, caused DIR.
Payne to become suspicious. He took
possession of the quart bottle from
which the two men had drank, still
containing half a pint of liquor, and
gave it into the custody Of Officer Cas-
ey.
DIR. George D. Stanton, medical ex-
aminer for the town of Stonington,
was notified and after q brief examina-
ton decided that owing to the strong
suspicion of poisoning either, by the
liquor or some other cause, it was a
clear case for the coroner's investiga-
ton.
Coroner Brown arrived in westerly
from Norwich on the 12.45 trolley car.
He was met by Officer Casey and es-
corted to the office of William A. Will
cox, where, with Medical Examiner
Stanton present he took the testi-
1nony of Mrs. Hood. Then the inqui-
ry was continued at the Larrow-Hood
home in West Broad street, where lay
the two dead bodies.
Coroner Brown ordered an autopsy
upon the body of Larrow, and it was
made at the Gavitt morgue by DR..