OCR Text |
Show POISON IS SUSPECTED A mysterious . death, supposed to have been cauaed by poison, occurred last night. Lovell Steele, chief janitor of the . Atlas block, died at the home of his sis- . ter, Mrs. Susan - Blanchard, on South . Third West street, under clraumstancea , that led the physicians who atornded him " f to believe the man bad been poisoned. Steele waa a colored-man, 38 years old. -and had been employed as janitor In a ' number of buildings for many years. For . fourteen .years he had been in the Atlas block, and had superintended work i of the same class In other buildings. At 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon he was seen at the Atlas block. At 8:30 o'clock he was found In his room, suffering acutely. He asked that his wife be called, and at once, stating he was -very 111. ' After her arrival Mrs. Steele called Dra. .. Scott and Root, and they arrived a few minutes after 6 o'clock. After working on . bim an hour, Steele, who had been un- conscious for some time, waa revived, and was taken home, where he died at o'clock. - " The physicians stated that the odor of chloroform was detected on the man's . breath, thus arousing their suspicions. Steele is -said to have been a heavy drinker, and waa also said to have been under the influence , of liquor when he ; ?Dr. SUver. who had been treating Steele, said that he believed that "death waa . caused by acute alcoholism. It has not" yet been decided whether or not an au- -. ' topsy win be held. ' , ' |