The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-20
THE THREE DEATHS
FROM GAS POISON
Chemist Withers so Reports
Concerning End of Benson
Men in Wilson Apartments
THE CORONER'S JURY IS
TO PROCEED WITH CASE

The Cali Of Citizens is for q Complete
investigation OF Every Phase of the
Casc-I>umOr Has 1t That the Off
Gals Are Going on With Investiga-
ton SO as to Ascertain the Cause
of the Flow Of Gas-RumOr That
Gas Company Employees Say Gas
Meter Was Not Out of Order.
4. definite cause was yesterday fixed
rs chemist w. A. Withers, engaged by
Solicitor Herbert Il. Norris, for the
deaths of A. l.. Johnson, Fred Jerni-
IAN and IA. Y. Porter Of Benson.
whose bodies were found on the night
Of February 9TH in room number 1
of the Wilson apartments. His state
mcrt is that death came by poisoning
from Illuminating gas, and is as fol-
lows.
Raleigh. y. c., Feb. u, 1912.
lion. II. +. Norris, Solicitor.
Raleigh, n. G.
Dear Sir
have the honor OF submitting the
following report Of the examination
of the NiScera Of the late Alton r..
Johnson. for evidence Of poisoning by
Illuminating gas, said viscera having
been delivered to me by Charles A.
spark. Coroner.
When illuminating gas is inhaled,
carbon mOnOxide, which is one Of it's
constituents. unites with the coloring
matter of the blood, forming carboxy-
haemoglobin, which diminishes and
fnflly destroys the ability Of the
blood TO serve as a carrier Of the oxy-
gen essential to life.
/ made several chemical tests and a
SpectroScoDic test OF the blood Of the
said Johnson. deceased, and each of
these tests showed the presence Of
CarhoNyhaemoglobin, thus proving
poisoning by carbon mOnoXide, or il
iuninatinG gas.
Very respectfully.
~tSigned) w. A. WRITER'S.
Thcre have been man theories ad-
Nahced for the deaths Of the three
young men, but that Of death from
the effects Of gas has been the gen
orally accepted one. And while the
chemist has justified this belief there
~ still q call upon the officials from
citizens Of Raleigh that there be the
most dlligent probing into the case
50 IS 10 ascertain by what means the
Gaa IN the room occupied was turned
on, and that there be a full account
ing Tor money and a pistol one Of
'At Young men is said to hay had.
N+N ~ -, i1tCN " lliCl kl1S4O
Is a call for q fun investigation as to
amy motive which might so TO show
Inc cause Of the death of the three
Young men, or Of any vents which
MAY so to clear up the mystery OF
ih"ir untime1y end.
The cali for this searching inquiry
mas resulted from the report Of the
HlSSlhS money and pistol, from the
ihri mat for an entire day the
nleli lay dead in the room in which
my were found, from the testimony
mat there was no smell Of gas. AnC
yesterday there was added to these
TWO other reports. one was that thu
employees Of the gas company haC
SAID that there was nothing found
wrong with the gas meter examined
IN room number one in which it wa:
iotafed, the only trouble found heins
IN Z Joint OF the pipe at the jet i!
we room. Another rumor was tina
Aunt Sally Mann, who was il
'harEe of the cleaning UP Of TIL
apartments in which the deaths oc
cured had left the city. This rulno
'ouid not be confirmed. it being re
ported also that she is still in the city
sue was one of the witnesses VIII,
nave been examined in the case.
he coroner'S jury has not yet ON
i'cteu its Investigations, having ad
loUrned to wait the result Of tn
analyses Of the ~viscera of the yOun
H' wine tntT6 were tnrPe WI
were found dead ii was decided tina
mere need be only the analysis of tn
NIScera of one, and the stomach, kid
n'!S' hNer and lungs Of A. r. John
son We're analyzed and examined t
a4N'oEer the cause Of death, set GU
w Nnemlst Withers as from pOisO
n0nh Illuminating gas. h matte
VII he presented to the coroner
1uiE' put 1t is not known what othe
1Nloehce IS TO be called for by the
nooE. The public has a deep interes
IN the report of the cOroner's iur,
"nu " expects from it and from tn
Dln'lais OF the county and city ever
.NeSuSatlon into the matter Of til
"ea'h or the three young men. It
"uu'S mat is incumbent upon ever
mh'ial IN the least connected wit
me investigation Of the case to asce]
"n every possible fact connecte