Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-29
VERDICT IS AWAITED
IN ASP'HYxA7|ON CASES
Deaths of Five Persons Said
to Be Due to Broken
Service Pipe.

A verdict IS expected lac this afternoon
in connection with the deaths by asphyX-
alton of five members OF the family. OF
Nicholas REYNOLDS, coIcred. The jury as
sen,bled hy Coroner hewitt at the moratle
later adjourned to the house at 1879 Car
rollsbur. place southwest, where the
bodies were found late Yesterday after
noon, to make thorough examination OF
the premises.
The bodies of the victims. Nicho as Rey-
ro!ds. forty-fve years Old: Florence Rey-
nolds. his wife, Eleanor. six years old
Ada. FIVE years old. and Evelyn, two years
old, were found late yesterday afternoon
in the bedrooms
1t is said the escape of the gas was
due to service pipe. which ran under
the house and was broken by a steam
shovel used in construction work in front
of the house, in charge Of Patrick Malo-
ney of 642 b street southeast.
Attorney W. G. Sullivan was i'm at
tendance as counsel for Maloney at the
inquest. The Washington Gas Light Com
pany was represented by K. II. Colds
borough and BENJAMIN s. Minor. while J.
r. Kelly appeared for re'atiyes of the
deceased.
Finding of the Bodies.
noon when Policeman Garrett of the
fourth precinct was told something was
wrong in the Reynolds home, employees
of the Washington Gaslight Company hav-
ing been previously notified of a leak in
the supply pipe there. The poiicemsn
and gas company employees reached the
house about the same time and found the
FIVE bodies.
Reynolds occupied the apartment on the
first floor. while the upper apartment is
the nome of Frederick Ward and his wife.
nolds family talking when they returned
home Tuesday night ABOUT IN o clock.
They also no iced the odor of gas, but
thought it came from an engine employed
on the street work in front of the house.
Nothing was heard of any of the Rey-
nolds family yesterday. so the police
we're summoned to make an inquiry lac
in the afternoon.
None o. the windows of the Reynolds
apartment was oren, and there was no
opening through which the gas could
escape. On a pallet on the floor in the
front room were the Eodies of Reynolds.
his wife and baby. while in the rear room
were the bodies of AGA and Elwood. the
older oh ldren. Their b. dies also were
On pallet on the floor. There was a
bed in the room. but it appeared as if it
had not been occupied recently.
Find Broken Gas Pipe.
Capt Williams ard Policeman Garrett
made an investigation and reported the
result tn Coroner hewitt. They found
that a gas pipe running directly beneath
the house had been broken. they thought.
by a pillow used in grading and paving
the street 1t WAS explained to Capt. Will
ANS that the pillow had been operated
~ a steam engine, and it appeared as If
he plow had come n contact with the
piEe and moved it enough to cause the
ureak beneath the apartment house.
The pol ce tn nix that Reynolds and
m enibers OF his family must haze de-
teote.l the odor of gas before they retired
and they suggested that Reynolds close
the windows to keep the gas from enter
ing the house, probably thinking it was
coming in through the windows and
doors.
Samuel Reynolds, brother Of Nicholas
Reynolds, res des at 2i22 Pennsylvania
avenue northwest, and a sster also re-
DIES in this city. Nicholas was a native
Of Virginia and came to tn city more
than twenty years ago. His WIFE was a
resident of Charlottesv lie, Va. at the
tine OF her marriags. Her mother came
here TO-DAY from Charlottesville to look
after the funeral arrangements.
The condition of the bodies indicated
that death was entirely peaceful and that
the victims at no time realized their
danger or suffered