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WOMAN AND TWO
MEN ASPHYXIATED
Gas From Tapped Main
Fills House
NEIGHBOR'S DISCOVERY
SYDNEY, March 17.
Two men and a woman were as-<*>
phyxiated by escaping gas in a house
in Taylor street, Darlinghurst, early
this morning. The gas penetrated into
the house adjoining and awakened the
inmates, who then broke open a back
window and found the dead bodies of
their neighbors. The dead were:—
MOBY WIIXIiUHS, 49. also known as Mari*
Elliott.
JAMES FADDON. 45, laborer.
JOHN GARA, SO, taxi driver, who boarded
in the house.
A cat and dog and a cockatoo that
were in the house were also killed. The
dog apparently had made ineffectual
attempts to escape from the building,
for its body was found near a door
which it had scratched in its effort to
get out.
The police discovered that the gas
supply to the house had been cut oS
and the meter removed by the Gas Co..
but that a length of rubber tubing had
been used in tying the gas pipe. This
tube bad fallen off during the night
and the gas had poured into the build
ing, overcoming the- occupants in tneir
sleep.
About 5 aja., Mrs. M. Patterson, who
lives in the adjoining dwelling, which
is in a terrace, was awakened by feel
ing very sick. The house reeked of
gas. Her husband tried to trace the
source of the gas and, believing it
was coming from the next house, en
deavored to rouse the residents, but lie
failed. He then decided to break into
the house. He smashed a window\at
the rear and flung up the sash. Gas
surged from the window, and, coughing
for breath, he ran into the bedroom.
Paddon and Mary Williams were lying
in bed. They had died in their sleeD.
Patterson Sung open the front door
and then turned off the gas at the
main. Upon returning to the house
he found Gara lying on the floor of
an upper room with the bed clothes
wrapped round him. Apparently, be
had been awakened by the fumes dur
ing the night and, almost overcome,
had attempted to struggle from his bed
to the window, but bad collapsed.
A doctor, who examined the bodies,
said that death bad occurred about
two hours previously.
For some hours afterwards the gas
could be smelt for more than fifty
yards along the street.
When the police examined the pre
mises they found that, although the
gas had been cut off. the supply had
been tapped by removing a plug which
the Gas Co. officials had placed in
the main. A bicycle tube had been
used to connect the main pipe with
the gas stove. The gas had not been
turned off at the main before the oc
cupants of the house had retired, and
the end connected to the stove was
it is thought, dislodged by the dog,
which was in the bouse walking into
it during the night.
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