tom kinney was defeated in november 1910 for a u.s. congress seat, and soon after was diagnosed with tuberculosis, from which he died of on may 15, 1912. kinney's brother-in-law tom egan suspected his 1910 defeat was the result of a double-crossing political ally named michael gill, who betrayed snake to advance his own ambitions. egan and his goons complied such a large tally for gill's opponent in the 1912 election, the congressman was speechless upon his defeat.