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Christ Kolstad and Christ Mone, two young Scandinavians from Lion River were asphyxiated by gas at Courtney's hotel on Broadway be tween 10 o clock Christmas night and 12 o'clock Saturday night. The affair was purely accidental, the chances being that one or the other of the men blew out the gas. They made a fight for the lives after they discovered that something was wrong but were then too far gone to to effect their escape. The dead men were discovered shortly before midnight on Saturday and Dr O'Brien, who was called start ed that the men had at that time probably been dead 12 to 15 hours. Both the men had apparently un dressed and gone to bed. Some time later they were awakened by the gas and it was then that they apparently made their fight for life. Mane went toward the window and the other man toward the door. Both appar ently pitched forward too much over come by the gas to be able to open either the window or the door. The gas jet was turned full on and the room was tight. This accounts for the slightness of the smell of gas in the building. Anon Erickson was with the men when they went to the room Friday night but his leaving the hotel short ly afterward probably saved his life. Ife cannot speak a word of English. The story told by Erickson was to the effect that the men came in from Iron River on the night train, Christ mas day. They had their supper, took one drink and after looking over the city went to the hotel Brick on thinks that they went to the hotel about 10 o'clock. All three men secured one room at the hotel. They told Night Clerk Jerome that they were anxious to be together Kolstad doing the talking and apparently looking after the ar rangements. They registered and were assigned to their room. And at the hotel it was stated that the use of gas was explained to them and they said they knew about it Erickson says that when they went Upstairs he did not feel like retiring for the night and he went out for a time He wandered around and fin ally made an effort to find his way back to the hotel. He was unsuccess ful in this but reached the Grand hotel a block farther west He enquired in his simple way for the boys, looked at the register and finally went to bed, this being about 1:15 Saturday morning. E Erickson arose early Sat urday morning, went out and com menced to hunt for his companions whom he lost the night before He spent Saturday in the search that was unsuccessful and that night he went back to Iron River. Monday he heard of the death of his companions and with Karl Kolstad a cousin of one of the dead men, he returned to Su perior next morning to find the bodies at the undertaking parlors at Coroner Downs. Taking Erickson’s story with all the other facts the police and authorities are convinced that the affair was purely accidental. In fact there has never been hardly a suspicion of mur der. The only injury on the body of either of the men was one at the cheek of one where he apparently struck the wall when falling to the floor hhe dead men were discovered just before 12 o'clock Saturday night. By mistake it was supposed that Bi gone the men at the room the dead ones 4a it tured ou and nsted to be al lowers to sleep fred the vere:vot bothered Dire in diy Sea Court ney sth el ith tit ’ bart uy he had found the jeax dan o her rownat night, bow y he found that there With Govtpog Bas an th room agaged ty there sired hen He broke open Lie teansom wad found the two deatmen. Coroner downs wisnt Foxboro but Deputy Withrow responded with De. O' Biennie door was locked on the inside and there was every indication of accidental death from blowing out the gas The experiment of turning on and then blowing out the gas was tried and it was found that even a short man could do this. Both men worked near Iron River Molle was a swamper for a lumber camp and Kolstad worked at the mill. Erickson, the third man is also a lum berman. Both dead men are said to be about 21 years of age. Outside of Karl Kolstad, the cousin that was in the city today, they have no relatives in this country. They had on them evidences that they had relatives in foreign countries, having receipts showing that they had been sending money home. The funeral services over the re mains of the two men were held Tues day afternoon from the undertaking rooms of Coroner Downs and the interment was made at Greenwood.
Newspaper Details
Superior Times
Superior, Wisconsin, US
Sat, Jan 02, 1904
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Sarah E.
