Smyrna times., 1911-02-01
DOUBLEPOlSONINC
MYSTERY SOLVED
Deadly Gas Filled Room Where
Lovers Sat.
ANIMALS ARE EASILY SLAIN
Apparent Effects of Cyanide of Potas'
sium Explained to Satisfaction OF
Authorities.

sium Explained to Satisfaction OF
Authorities.
The mystery of the Elosser-Twigg |
double poisoning at Cumberland, Md, |
has been solved.
The deep mystery of the tragedy
wherein two young people, Miss NJ.
Grace Elosser and Charles E. Twigg
to whom she was to have been mar
ried the following day, met sudden
and mysterious death in the parlor OF
the Elosser home in Cumberland
on the afternoon of Dec. 81, is mys'
terry no longer.
Miss Elosser and Twigg were the
victims of an accident. They lost their
lives because of the improper COM
bustion of gas from a natural gas
stove in the parlor, which caused car
bon monoxide gas to generate, a gas
so deadly that one-half of 1 per cent
is estimated to be fatal in a closed
room.
DIR. ]. H. Littlefeld and DR.. A. H.
Hawkins discovered the presence OF
the gas in the parlor of the Elosser
residence, made experiments with it,
and backed up their knowledge of its
deadly action by twice subjecting cats
to it's fumes, both times with fatal
results.
Several days ago DR.. Littlefeld was
Informed of the presence of a natural
gas stove in the parlor, and he at
once thought of the action of carbon
monoxide gas. He communicated his
find to DR.. Hawkins, and an eXamina-
tion of the stove made by them not
only showed improper combustion, but
the further fact that the mica was
broken at the top of the door and that
tets of gas fumes would shoot through
the holes in it.
Experiments were made and it was
determined to try another on a cat,
q hearty, robust feline that DR.. Lit
tlefield had procured. The cat was
placed in a box with Stats over it to
prevent the animal getting out. This
box was placed on the settee in the
Elosser parlor where Twigg's body
was found. The room, even to the
placing of chairs, stands and other
furniture was left identically the same
as on the day that the two young per.
sons perished.
The doors and windows were closed
as on that day, and the little gas stove
was lighted and turned up as high
AS Miss Elosser and Twigg were in
the room one and a half hours, the
cat was left there the same time
when it was found curled up as though
asleep, but dead, having died withou
q struggle.
The autopsy on the cat showed thu
organs red and inflamed and the bloot
a bright red, the same poison trace
found in the bodies of Miss Elosse
and Twigg and mistaken for traces O
cyanide of potassium.
States Attorney Robb and Cit
Health Officer Harrington were not
fed and, after long consultation, tn
gas was tried again on another ca
and rabbit, with the same results a
to the cat and with a drowsiness fc
the rabbit
Another rabbit was killed with p
tassium cyanide, and it's blood wa
found blue and clogged, entirely di
ferent from that shown by the a
topsy on the remains of Miss Elosst
and Twigg. The fact that cyanit
reaction was obtained from the co
tents of the stomaches of Miss Elo
ser and Twigg is explained by Il
fact that the contents of a norm
stomach will give such reaction
the stomach contain saliva, due
the presence of a small amount
cyanide
1--WE worked on theories, murd,
double suicide and murder and S
eide" said States Attorney Rot
I'VE are now investigating a four
theory. We have reached no conc
sion. know two cats used in the
pertinent are dead cannot say h,
Charles E. Twigg and Grace Elos:
met their Deaths"
The doctors who conducted the
topsy on the bodies of Miss Elos
and Twigg discredit the death
asr alton theory. They say Il
found evidence of poisoning by C
nide of potassium.