July 12, 1962 - Former Governor James T. Blair and his wife, Emilie, were found dead in their home today, the victims of carbon monoxide fumes. Mr. Blair, 60, had served as Governor of Missouri from 1957 to 1961. A maid, Mrs. Lena Green, found the bodies when she came to work this morning. She called Dr. Leon Taylor, who said the Blairs had died of monoxide poisoning about midnight. Sheriff Horace Debo said Mr. Blair apparently had left the engine of his car running in the attached garage and the fumes had been sucked into the house through the air conditioning system. Mrs. Blair was found on the floor of a utility room, and Mr. Blair was found in his bedroom, where he apparently had been reading. The Blairs’ German shepherd dog, Erich, was found dead in the dining room. The sheriff said the deaths were unusual but clearly accidental, and no inquest was planned.
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