The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-12-18
DEATH OF E. c. JONES
Particulars of the AsphyxiatiOn OF
Former 0skaloosa Boy.

The particulars of the death of E
c. Jones, a former we'll known young
man OF this city, who learned the
printers trade in the office of the
Oskaloosa Globe. and who afterward
removed to Tacoma where for several
years he conducted the Lacona Ledg-
err disposing of it few years since
TO enter the insurance work and re-
moved to the capital city is thus Civ
en- by the Burlington Hawk-Eye:
"E. c. Jones, adjuster for the Cap
ital Insurance company, of Des
Moines. was found dead in his bed
at the residence of Mr. and mrs Otto
Burr, 6l2 North Third street, yester-
day morning. The pulmotor was
used on him for over half an hour but
without avail.
Death was caused by a defective
gas fixture in his room. The fixture
is one of those which is supposed to
have a continual spark burning, so
that when the string is pulled which
turns on the gas. the gas is ignited
This spark had gone out and Mr.
Jones had pulled the cord which turn.
ed on the gas, without igniting IT, He
then lit the gas stove, for some reas-
on unknown. as the room was not
cold. No one else in the house smell
ed any gas whatever until they went
into Mr.. Jones room in the morning
Mr.. Jones was a man about thirty.
eight years old and of very heavy
build. He had been a frequent visit
or in Burlington and always visited
his friends, the Buris. He had come
here Friday afternoon on his way to
adjust an insurance matter at Sperry,
and decided to spend the afternoon
with Mr. and Mrs Burr. He engaged
a rig at Burnett's livery barn and in
company with Mr.. and Mrs. Burr, and
Miss Marie Johnson, who lives with
them, took a long drive, the party re-
turning home at 1870. Mr.. Jones
took the team TO the stable, which is
only a block from the Burr home, and
was told by Mr.. Burr that he might as
well come back and spend the night,
as they have an extra bedroom. Mr.
Jones accepted the invitation and
went to his room on the second floor,
facing the street, at about a quarter
to twelve.
AT about $50 in the morning Mrs.
Burr woke up and heard heavy breath
ing from Mr. Jones' room which was
directly above that of the one occu-
pied by her husband and herself, with
a register in the floor She went up
stairs and noticed light coming
through the transom OF Mr.. Jones'
door. She knew that meant the gas
stove was lit and wondered why It
had been done. She went up again a
few minutes later and pounded on the
door and called to their guest to turn
OFF the gas stove, but received no an.
swer. Feeling somewhat alarmed she
called her husband and said she was
afraid something had happened to Mr..
Jones. Mr.. Burr advised her to 90 in
TO the room and see il everything was
all right. The door into the hall was
bolted but there was another door
opening from the bedroom into a lit.
tie store room which opens into the
hall. AS soon as Mrs. Burr opened
the store-room door she was nearly
overcome with the rush OF hot air and
gas into her face. The bedroom door
was ajar about six inches. She look.
ed into this room and saw Mr.. Jones
lying on the bed, apparently asleep.
The gas stove was burning, both the
windows were tightly shut and the
gas from a fixture dropping from the
ceiling was turned on. The stove
was connected to a fixture on the
wall.
Mrs. Burr discovered that the gas
was turned on when she tried TO light
Il by pulling on the cord attached TO a
patent device. Mr. Jones had ap
parently pulled the cord when he
went TO his room and when no ligh,
came he probably lit the gas stove in
order to have enough light to undress