Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-26
INVESTIGATION OF TURNER ROE
BROTHERS. DEATHS FAILS
OF SOLUTION.
FATHER AND WIFE TELL
REASON OF HASTE TO WE'D
County Attorney Wenner Seeking 10
Determine Source OF Chemical IN
Mystery Deaths OF Robert and Ralph
Turner. Roe as Result Of siehloride
Of Mercury Poisoning.

Waterloo MAY 26-How the little
Turner-Roe boys got hold OF the b.
chloride of mercury thai caused th1lr
deaths from poisoning las, week Is
mystery which careful INVESTIGATION
today by T.. j. Wenner, county attor-
I attorney, failed To solve. In fact run
and free narration OF all the details
OF the case by W h. Turner Roe, the
father. and the new ste9mother barring
their own lives ard their relationships,
all the family las ,urS. tic, only deep
ems the mystery.
Mr.. Tururr.4.ve and MS bride, whom
h, married In Chicago yesterday, while
on the sad Mission of taxing the bodies
OF his two youngest Children 10 Mont
gomery ILL.,. for inter.neat, found on
their arrival that their marriage at
this time had caused much gossip.
Explain Apparent Hasty Marriage.
I'VE were married in Chicago NJ TINS
time" said Nj. TurneF-Eoe, because
We had been contemplating mairlmonH
for few weeks past, nay wife having
been in my home as hcasekeeper ana
taking care Of the children since last
month. We we're only delaying the
marriage because Mrs. AVIS husband
died only last March When the little
boys sickened and died our common
grief brought US closer Together. Mrs,
Avis had been employed Dy me as
housek eeper Sor II months two years
ago. and she became attached TO ths
r -1oag
expense, too. ny being married on this
trip. for II Ne were married, later
would have to !usI some iime from my
work"
In this statement the rev Mrs. TuT-
aer- Roe acqGiesced.
Bodies in Mausoleun.
Because Of uncertainty as TO the lot
lines in the cemetery a. Montgomery
/ the father hal the bodies OF the TWO
little boys PLACED IN receiving wa,lt
until a survey can be made.
Mr.. Turner Roe and his bride ar
rived from Ch!cago al 2 a m today
! They were met al the Train by MS
/ daughter. Florence. who told him OF
! the fact that a chemical analysis had
revealed considsrab BILE quantities OF
mercury in the stomach and upper
| small ;ntestines
Source Of the Poison?
/ Il appears that Robert age 5. the
/ younger of the boys who died, went
/ TO Minneapolis Tor a g2tit with Mrs.
AVIS relatives a wees a go last Sum
! day With him went Mrs Avis Mr..
Turner Roe and Miss F1ceuce. They
returned homo at 5:30 > nj Thursday.
! May IS.
| Robert wanted TO GO out to play as
! soon as We got rome" said Mrs. Tur-
! ner-Roe. He and Ralph. age S. the
! second boy 10 die. went ont ON the open
prairie to play. They played until $50
when they came in and went to bed"
Mr. Turner Roe Joined in this state
ment He said Robert ordinarily went
! to bed at 1880 y. m. ami took a nap
! after dinner He would plead with me
/ some evenings 10 be permitted TO play
little longer said the father.
Poison Procured that Night.
! II is believed that the little boys
| must have gotten hold Of the bichlor
| ide of mercury while they were out
playing with other children that even
ing The house Is at 1872 Quincy street
|
| toys slept as we'll as usual so far as
| the father and Mrs. Avis knew.
The next morning, which was Fri
| day, Robert said he wasn't hungry.
| thought nothing of that, thinking he
I. was a little bilious" said the father.
He complained later in the morning
Il put Robert TO bed and promised
| him that he might feel better after
| nap. He did not cry or whine, but be-
| came sick al mis- stomach. He vomited
| several times during the day said
| Mrs Turner-Roe. Il asked him what
| ne wanted and he said, Give me q
| drink of water and l will not bother
! any more"
When the father returned from work
| shortly after 5 Q. m, he found the boy
| had the appearance that death was
| near and. called a doctor. Before the
| physician arrived however the boy had
| died He had told his father his feet
| hurt him.
| Other Boy Takes III.
| Ralph, years old, was at school all
morning. When he returned Friday
| noon he complained Of feeling tired
| Later he went to bed, but he did not
| complain Oh having any plliil iic, w.
became nauseated and vomited fire.
| quently. The doctor called for Robert
was called again and summoned two
other physicians for counsel.
THE first physician wruns his hands,
saying. I do not know what the mat
ter u.s." said Mr.. Turner Roe. He said
the symptoms were alike. asked him
il it might be mercury poisoning, haV-
ing read about people taking this drug
by accident, but he claimed there was
no indication of such poisoning. mad
the boy in my arms most Of the time
from s p. m. until he died, at a. m.
Saturday morning. He did not COM
plain Of pain except to tell the doctor
his stomach hurt. He pointed to the
place when the doctor requested he To-
cate the pain. The boy did not lose
consciousness until just q minute be-
fore he passed away. The only token
he gave that he was Tightly was when
he told me TO move over on the bed.
There's q dove over there he told me
moved over and he reached out to
take hold Of the imaginary dove. Just
moment later he died."
i No Poison In the House.
i I'VE have never had any poison
about the house." said the father. I'VE
have never had bichloride Of mercury
here The children never got into any
thing fthis sort anyway. and ! would
4 ~ ~ nsrI<l