Strong odors of gas awakened Blake Armstrong of 13 Hampshire Street, Everett, at 3:30 Saturday morning, and rushing down to the cellar he found his nephew, a graduate student of English here, had taken his life.

William B. Armstrong 2G, 26 year old Tufts College graduate, was stretched out on a table, his right hand limp over three open gas outlets and a cloth over his head, his uncle reported.

Coroner Rules Suicide

Shortly after 4 o'clock, with Everett police already in attendance, Dr. Andrew S. Guthrie of Medford, medical examiner of the Northern District of Middlesex County, pronounced William Armstrong a suicide.

Relatives of the deceased could think of no possible motives for the tragedy last night. They disclosed that Armstrong had taken dinner earlier in the evening with some friends, and according to the latter he "seemed perfectly all right" at the time.

Hard Worker

Lewis G. Slack of 120 Waverly Street, Everett, cousin of Armstrong, added however, that the youth was given to intense periods of solitary study ever since he entered the School of Arts and Sciences last February. "He'd been going at it awfully hard lately," said Slack.

According to Slack, Armstrong would return early in the evening and study uninterruptedly until long past midnight.

Slack also recalled that the English major was subject to severe attacks of headache, and that he was treated for this condition at Stillman Infirmary last spring.

No farewell note has yet been discovered, and Armstrong's family was at a loss to supply any immediate motive for the suicide last night. 'All I can think of is Winant's death,'murmured Slack. "This is just as inexplicable."

No definite date for funeral services had been set by the family last night.