The Poisonous Gas.
A Negro Meets his Death by Sleeping Near a Gas Flue.

Coroner Mull, in the midst of his electioneering Friday, received notification of the sudden death of a negro at Bartow Furnace.  He summoned a jury, and with Dr. T. J. Shepherd to make the post mortem examination immediately proceeded there to hold an inquest.

The negro’s name was James Cooper, who, for the past few months head been living at the furnace doing chores, wood-chopping, etc.  From the evidence gathered, it seems that on Thursday night last he went to sleep near the gas flue, telling the negro on duty to wake him when he came off watch and that they would go home together.  The watchman forgot to do as requested, and parties going to the flue the next morning, found a crisp burned negro laying at its mouth.  It was belief of the jury and of Dr. Shepherd that he had gone to sleep at the mouth of the flue, and poisonous gases arising there from had killed him, and the exuding blaze had burned his body into this frightful mass of cooked flesh.  His body presented a most ghastly disgusting and revolting sight.  The jury rendered a verdict in accordance with the above facts.