Mr. and Mrs. Henry Becker, residing a mile and a half from this city on the Lower Falls road, were nearly asphixiated by coal gas at an early hour Thursday morning, the timely arrival of their son-in-law at 5 o'clock in the morning preventing the death of the couple.

Christmas night when Mr. and Mrs. Becker retired the coal stove was checked by a damper in the pipe and in some manner the deadly coal gas was forced through a pipe into the kitchen stove and escaped into the house. When the son-in-law arrived the deadly fumes had penetrated the sleeping apartments of the couple and Mr. Becker was almost overcome. Mrs. Becker though weak managed to get to the door and admit her son-in-law. The doors and windows were immediately opened and in the course of an hour Mr. Becker was able to arise.

The day previous it had been planned to do some butchering and the son-in-law arrived at 5 o'clock that morning to assist. Both Mr. and Mrs. Becker are still weak and it will be some time before they will be able to leave their home.

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