The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-03-07
GAS KILLED FIVE;
THREE IN FAMILY
Father, Mother and Son Dead
in Phi IadeIphia.
CHILD TOLD or TRAGEDY
Life of 9-YearOId Girl is Saved Be-
cause She Fell Asleep in Parlor.
Suicide Nearly Kills Wife

Philadelphia, March Five per-
sons were killed by illuminating gas
in Philadelphia, three members of one
family dying under mysterious circum-
stances in their home, while two men
committed suicide. A sixth man was
also gas victim, but not killed.
John w. Cliff, aged 81; his wife
Minnie, aged 81, and their 14-year-old
son. John w. Gift, were found dead
in their home, 1887 East Dauphih
street, under circumstances which in
dictate that one of the three inten-
tionally ended all their lives. Violet,
the S-year-old daughter of the couple,
escaped death only because she became
i'll during the night and went down.
stairs, falling asleep there on q couch.
The little girl slept in the second
story back room with her brother. She
had recently recovered from scarlet
fever, and was awakened during the
night by the need of air. The family
habitually slept with all windows
down; so the child arose and went
downstairs to the parlor. She raised
the window there and lay on the couch.
falling asleep.
At seven O'Clock in the morning she
awoke and went upstairs to arouse her
parents and her brother. First enter
ing her parents room, she was driven
back by the odor of gas. Then she
went to the adjoining room, in which
she had left her brother q few hours
before, and tried to arouse him, but
could not do so.
Very much frightened, the child ran
out of the house and went to the home
of her grandmother Mrs Mary Gift,
at 2312 Cedar street, calling up to her
grandmother that her parents were
sick. Before her grandmother could
descend to open the door the little girl
ran around to the home of her aunt,
Mrs. c. B. Weston. No. 244I East
Dauphin street, and also aroused her.
The grandmother, accompanied by two
of her sons, went TO the Gift home,
meeting Mrs. Weston there. and to-
gether they Investigated. They We're
unable to arouse any Of the three,
so they called upon the police, who
took the bodies to st. Mary's Hospital,
where all were pronounced dead.
Police investigated the triple killing.
and declared that they were convinced
that either the man or the woman had
planned to wipe out the whole family.
The entire gas bracket in the room
had been torn out and was lying on
the. floor close to the bed where Mr..
and Mrs Cliff were found dead, al
lowing gas to fill the upper story of
the house. 1t could not have fallen
off. as it was lying eight feet from the
wall.
Almost as dramatic as the death of
the Cliff family was the end of John
| Marsh, So, in his home, HOB Myrtle
t~street, which was admittedly a suicide.
Marsh almost succeeded in making his
wife, Irene, victim of his desire to
end his life.
At two o'clock in the morning Marsh
left his bed, telling his wife he was
going to get a drink of water. Several
hours later Mrs. Marsh was aroused by
the smell of gas. Her husband was
not at her side In her fright she
raised her window and screamed, at
tracing the attention of George ShrodS
who, unable to get in the front odor,
got ladder and placed it alongside
the house. climbing up and carrying
the woman out the window to the
street.
Later the police broke in the front
door and found Marsh lying dead in
the parlor. After leaving his wife In
bed, he had evidently gone downstairs,
closed the door of the parlor and turn
ed on the gas. For some months he
had been suffering from an incurable
disease and was very respondent.
Harry NJ. Pye, So years old, of 1889
Vine street, was found dead in his
room with the gas turned on. He had
| beeen sick, out of work and despon-
dent for some time.
John Cook, ~ years old, of GOA North
! Tenth street, was found unconscious
! from gas in his room and was taken
to the Hahnemann Hospital. His con-
dition is serious. 1t is thought that
| this case was accidental.