Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-14
HENRY J. HAGElORN
KILLED BY GAS
Fellow Lodgers in West Side House
Had Narrow Escape With
Their Lives.

Escaping gas killed one man and over
came two more at 632 West Fourth
street last night The dead man is Henry
J. Hagedorn. Is years old. The others,
Frank Costello. 81 and Emilio Rockvlgne.
-. arc at Delaware Hospital where IT was
reported this morning that their condition
is improving Both of the latter are Spanish
lahorers. All three were overcome while
sleeping nj their lodging house by gas
escaping from leaking main leading 70
$50 West Fourth street building which
is being remodcled
Mrs. Elizabeth Botsford, who lives
rcxt door to the house where the men
were overcome, notified DR. r. g. Rob
bins at his drug store, CSC West Fourth
street. and DIR. J ", Bastjan, Of Delaware
Hospital, who was in the store when she
arrived They summoned the police
ambulance and returned 10 the house,
Costello and Rockvigne were revived by
means Of the pulmotor after being taken
TO the roof. but All attempts 20 save
Hagedorn, who was taken to the second
floor, proved unsuccessful. His body Was
put in charge OF Deputy Coroner Harvey
Il. Nichols.
Harry kriger. plumber, Of 200i2 King
street. owner of the house al 632 West
J
that his mon had permitted the leak
by leaving faulty gas connection. 4
Incorrect He said that neither he nor bis
men had anything to do with the matter
''In the morning he said. Il notified
the gas company TO disconnect the pipe
from nv house, which led from $50 as
some alterations are to be made 70 the
building. AT 5 clock yesterday afternoon
I visited the house and found that the
ras pine had been disconnected. but il
had not been done by my men. did not
however, notice much odor Of gas and did
not know there was q leak. II there was
q leak. he said, he could not be blamed
for il. as he nor his men had not touched
the pipe.
At the Office OF the gas COMPANY it was
| said TODAY that il was true that the com
panv's men. on request, disconnected tFe
meter at No, 630, yesterday The person
giving this information said this work
was properly done. There Is some
other cause for the trouble, he explained,
however. but we have not definitely
located it vet and cannot place the
eS,.onsibiltv, though we hope to be able
to DO - when the investigation Is com
plctcd He said no blame attached to
Mr.. knger.
Deputy Coroner Harvey Z. Nichols
today made an investigation Of the cause
/ Of the death Of Hagedorn and the asphyxia-
ton OF the other two Building work that
has teen going on at $50 West Fourth
! street Is given by Mr. Nichols as the cause,
in his opinion, OF the gas escaping
The main gas line enters 632 West
/ Fourth street and there was a IT INTO
| the house next door This line was dis
connected while the building work was
going on and II is thought now that the
] lowering of the floor at $50 resulted IN the
| breaking Of the gas pipe and that the
gas escaped because Of tins
Hagedorn was IS years old last Feb-
ruarv. He was born in New Jersey,
| where his father and other relatives live
/ He had been in Wilmington several
months, however, and was employed by
the Pennsylvania Railroad Co at Todd :
! Cut. Not very long ago he took out an
insurance policy for $500 and in other
ways had given evidence Of . mcthodical
ife