The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-15
WOMAN COMPANION OF DEAD MAN IS
 HELD BY POLICE
CarbOIic Acid Victim Dead For Some Time When Ambu-
 lance Corps Is Called.
Police Investigating Peculiar Circumstances of Death of
 Stage Hand.

One of the tragedies of life in the underworld that occasionally ripple to the surface, is believed to have been told in the mysterious death by car- bolic acid poisoning of man known as George Hood, alias Woods, about midnight in his room at the Park house, 796 Main street. He had been dead fully half an hour when Dr. John J. Macdonald, night ambulance surgeon at the emergency hospital, arrived. Conditions were considered so suspicious by him that the police were notified and rigid investiga- ton is being made today. The my stery surrounding his death has deep ened and damaging information has been given by the 1andlady against Elizabeth Almondinger of Chatfieid street. Derby. who was with him when he took the fatal drink. Conflicting stories are told and from them the police are picking the threads of evil dence.
 According to her story, Hoods sG1i- eide was a result of a quarrel concern ing, her acquaintance with Eleanor BerkIy of Southington with whom she had been associating and who had l been arrested with her on two differ ent occasions. One time was in New Haven on idleness charges and the other time in Southington on charges of street walking. The latter time. according to her story, they were giv- en 30 days in jail each on two counts in the Hartford county jail and were only released September 22.
 According to the story told by the Almondinger woman, the quarrel be- gan about il o'clock and was follow ed by Hoods taking bottle of car bolic acid from his pocket, removing the wrapper and then raising 1t to his mouth. She says that she grabbed it. Then he told her to go to bed, sat down beside the bed and lighted a cigarette. A few minutes later, think ing she was asleep, she says that he aga%R made the attempt only to have it frustrated. For the third time he took the bottle from his pocket, eluded her and ran to the bath room. With one hand he held the door just long enough to drain the contents. As he was drinking the last, she broke in and grasped the bottle from his grasp. He staggered to the bed, groaned once and was silent.
 What happened between this and the time that Dr. Mcdonald arrived is something that the police are try ing to determine. According to the IandIadp at the house, other roomers heard the trouble, called at the room and were informed that Hood was "only sick They are inclined to be- lieve that his life could have been saved The landlady classes Hood as
 
 companion as one of the worst women that she has met. At police head quarters her talk at times was vulgar and profane, bearing out somewhat the cbaraet terization of the landladv.
 Hood has been in the city for some time, working as stage hand at the Park theatre and later as a waiter in several all night restaurants. Police investigation indicates that his home is on Abbott street, Danbury, and that he was once a baker. Also that he came from a good family and is sur vived by his parents. He is about ga years old.
 The Almondinger woman says that she left Derby four years ago. worked for a time at the Grove Hall hotel in New Haven and then hired a room and worked in other places. Here, she says, she became acquainted with the Berkley woman.
 A material witness called at head quarters this morning in Fred A. Kou- houpt chauffeur for George W. Ash more of Brewsters, N. Y., who fg- ured in the automobile chase to Bridgeport Saturday. He returned to Bridgeport yesterday, said that he met Hood, whom he knew of old, and last night was introduced to the Almond inger and Berkley women and that the four were on the streets last night. He said that Hood was with the Berh- ley woman and all seemed friendly. Also that Hood appeared to be in the best of spirits when he left