John and James Sullivan of Warwick were siblings with five years between them. They may have had a connection, however, stronger than space and time.

The boys were the sons of Daniel Sullivan and Bridget (Riley). Daniel was a peddler and a mule spinner at a local mill while Bridget worked as a mill speeder tender. Besides John and James, the couple had two older children; William and Daniel Jr. In Aug. of 1897, Warwick’s overseer of the poor petitioned the town to have 11-year-old William, 10-year-old Daniel Jr., and 8-year-old John removed from the home of their parents and placed at the Rhode Island State Home & School in Providence. Evidently, 3-year-old James would remain with his parents.

Although the elder Daniel had issues with alcoholism, it seemed he made an attempt to support his family and, at some point, his three children were returned to him and his wife. Bridget and the children were living on Phenix Road in Lippitt during the summer of 1904. By that time, Daniel had secured a job in Fall River and resided there for the time being. Bridget visited him when she could.

On June 22 of that year, 15-year-old John was at the Clyde Print Works where he was employed in the dye house. The enclosure was where acids were prepared for the dyes, and the fumes of the concoctions were usually over-whelming. Just after 1 p.m., the other boys working in the dye house watched John walk over to a packing box, lay down upon it and promptly fall asleep. He slumbered but a few minutes and then got back on his feet, took about 12 steps toward the water tank and fell to the floor unconscious. The dye house foreman rushed to the boy’s side, picked him up and carried him out into the fresh air. A doctor was immediately summoned.

At exactly the same time, 10-year-old James fell unconscious at the Phenix School. Another physician was summoned while James was carried to a nearby home. After a great deal of effort, the physician was able to restore consciousness to James. John, however, could not be roused.

Bridget had left town early that morning to go and visit her husband in Fall River. A telegraph was sent to that city and it was arranged for a carriage to bring the sleeping John back to his home. Late that evening, John finally regained consciousness and appeared to be fine. The doctor was certain John had suffered due to inhaling toxic fumes from the dye house. As for James, he had gone swimming in the river before going on to school that day and the doctor felt sure that the swim, so soon after breakfast, contributed to his own fainting several hours later. Even those who accepted the doctor’s theories admitted that the timing of the two events was bizarre.

The elder Daniel died at the RI State Infirmary in Cranston at 5:55 p.m. on Nov. 14, 1927. Having been physically sick for five weeks, the 64-year-old finally succumbed to acute alcoholism. Bridget died on June 15, 1934 at the age of 73. They were both buried in St. Ann’s Cemetery in Cranston.

James died at the age of 35 in 1929. John outlived him by 30 years.

Kelly Sullivan is a Rhode Island columnist, lecturer and author.