Arizona republican., 1918-01-03
GAS POISONING |S VERDICT IN
 N|CKELS CASE
Coroner's Jury Closes the
 Investigation of Christ mas Tragedy That Snuffed
 Out Lives of Local Folk

The death of Mrs. D. W. Nickels was the result of accidental inhalation of carbon monoXide.
 The death of D. w. Nickels was pneumonia caused by accidental inhal atiOn of carbon monoXide from un known origin.
 The two yerdictS were found by Jur- ies named by Coroner Wheeler to de- termine the cause of death of Mrs. Nickels who was discovered dead in her bed on Christmas morning, and her husband, who was found uncon sclous by her side and who lived until l early Friday morning, when he passed away from the complications that are said to be usual with carbon monoX- idle poisoning.
 1 The inquest over Mrs. Nickels, which was continued from last Wednesday, 1 occupied the morning hours. pr. Win | Wylie, appointed by the court to per l form the post mortem examination, 1 testified that the findings of the local l pathological laboratory were to the ef feet that death was due to chemical poisoning The blood examination, he said, failed to identify carbon monox- l idle. The report from the Cutter Labo- ratory of Berkeley, which also had l l ach contents according to brief tele- 1 gram was tests of blood indicate car 1 bon monoXide poisoning"
 i Dr. Wylie stated that the two labor atOries were not in conflict that one 1 stated the poison which the other rec | ognized, but did not classify. Both lab 6ratories had been given the same :n- | formation by the physicians which was | to the effect that carbon monoxide was suspected along with a few other tech nical details.
 George Purdy Bullard, counsel for l the Pacific Gas and Electric company, 1 took occasion to question Dr. Sweek | relative to the mysterious headaches to which he had frequently made refer ence during a previous hearing. He had l stated that he could not account for Mir. Nickels' headaches which had dis | appeared when he had left his home and had taken up his residence at the Adams Hotel The conclusion drawn by Dr. Sweek was that Mir Nickels had established a tolerance for the gas fumes. Mir. Bullard stated that he wished to clear up this part of the tes- timony and made the statement that he had examined the register at the Ad- ans hotel and had found that Mr. i NlckelS had registered there December E and checked out December IT while the furnace had not been installed until | three days later when it had been con- pleted and tested out.
 There must have been some other
 cause for the headaches than the fur
 nace?" suggested MT. Bullard.
 T suppose so,'' replied pr. Sweek. Herbert J. Mann, city building in
 spectOr, testified that he had made an
 examination of the furnace and had
 found that the ''T'' under the bedroom
 had been left uncapped and that there
 was a disconnected vent inside the
 wall of the bedroom. He stated that
 when he made his first examination
 the gas odor was overpowering, and that he could stay but a short time.
 Yesterday morning he made second
 investiga tion and tests failed to pro-
 duce the fumes of gas. The first fumes he declared, were produced by the back
 firing of the gas at the base.
 This fact was significant, he said, in
 that had the furnace been burning nor
 mally the gas would not have been pro-
 duced. It was not the fault of install
 lation, but the manner in which the
 furnace had been lit. It was made
 plain that this might happen in gas
 stoves and ranges that the gas fre- Quenty back-rreS and carbon mOnOX- =
 idle is formed accompanied by a roar
 ing sound and yellow flame,
 Mir. Mann testified that the city had
 not issued a permit for the gas moi had it been notified of the installation of the furnace.
 The inquest held over Mir Nickels was brief and was based largely upor the testimony of the previous inquest with the additional facts of his condi- tion during the days he survived hi. wife.
 Gas Company Statement The following statement concerning the Nickels case was made by H. l. Aller. general manager of the Pacific Gas & Electric company.
 ? This case has been surrounded witt : an unfortunate amount of mystery
 said MT. Aller. There have been SC
 many erroneous theories advanced tha
 it seems desirable to remove fear iron
 the public mind by a simple explana
 tion of the processes of burning gas.
 The Nickels tragedy may or may no
 have been caused by carbon monoxide ! Certain evidence in the case seems t,
 indicate such a cause. Carbon monox
 idle gas can be generated in any coa