The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-10
NAT M..WILLS
KILLED BY GAS
"The Happy Tramp" Is AS
phyxisted by Exhaust
From Motor Gar.
FAMOUS IN VAUDEVILLE
Great Laugh Maker Once
Forced Dom Paul to Yield
to Humor.
FAMOUS IN VAUDEVILLE
Nat NJ. Wills. "The Happy Tramp

Nat NJ. Wills. THE Happy Tramp"
Is dead.
Death came to him in kindly but
tragic fashion yesterday when he was
asphyxiated in his garage at Woodclih-
on-Hudson. N. j.. by the exhaust from
his car. The comedian, whose untimely
fate will be mourned by thousands In
this country and Europe, was at ths
time attempting to perform one OF those
acts Of charity for which he was noted.
as the car was to take him and his wife
to a soldiers beneht at the Hippodrome.
Garage asphyxiation has caused
deaths before, but the cases have been
very few The explanation Is that COM
bustion in the cylinders OF an automo-
bile engine consumes the oxygen In the
air Just as a lamp or gas burner does.
but many thousands OF times as fast
When the motor Is running in tightly
closed, small room the air rapidly be-
comes vitiated and victims are overcome.
In some cases. before they realize their
danger. It has been asserted the death
is painless.
wills lived with his wife and three
year-old daughter, Natalie, at No.
Thirty-frst street. Woodclin. In
bungalow that peeped over the top OF the
Palisades opposite Fifty-npth street.
Yesterday afternoon the Hippodrome
was given over to members OF the 305th
Regiment stationed at Camp Mills for a
play written and staged by the soldiers.
entitled "A Day In Camp" Wills had
not been asked to contribute his services
to the benefit, hut ne told his wife and
daughter yesterday morning that he was
going to take them there 80 that he
could add his contribution to the fund.
Maid Brinss startling News.
After dinner he went to the garage
at the back Of the garden. Mrs. Wits
and her daughter meanwhile prepared
themselves for the "Trip 70 Manhattan.
They were ready to 60 and were wait
ing some time. when Mrs. wills sent a
maid I'd tell her husband to bring the
car to the door. The maid returned al
most Immediately. white faced and
trembling, and said that although she
could hear the exhaust Of the machine
| inside the garage she was unable to get
any response to her knockings on the
door.
Mrs. Wills and Natalie then went to
the garage, but could get no reply u
/ their calls. Thoroughly frightened. the
comedians wife sent for Marcus Don
Yieliy. a neighbor, who found the door
locked. This was explained by the fac'
that a few days ago the bolts on the
door had been smashed by burglars and
the only way that the door could he kept
closed was by turning the key. -.
ponnelly finally managed to open the
door by smashing the lock with ham
mer. and the lifeless form Of Wills fei
out at the feet Of his wife and daughter
The closing of the door had made the
garage almost alright. but from tht
position OF Wills's body ID Is presumed
that he felt himself being overcome ant
did his best to unlock the door befor'
losing consciousness.
Great Laugh Maker.
Nat NJ. Wills can oonscientiously b.
called one of the worlds greatest laugf
makers. In his tramp makeup his drol'
ness of speech and dry. pointed humo