The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-04-29
r,,a the st Louis Evening Gazette
Ling Observation-Disclosures and
Loss OF Lie vigs1s f-tsT er

Loss of Lifel
v;,h sensations of indescribable
- horror that we hasten to lay be.
~ 40 w. nublic an account Of the mos,
III ort age that has ever disturbed
s''u .sce and lacerated the feelings of
~ sS morning about one o'clock the
e ERE was sounded, when it was
". rsred the interior of the large stone
ts'vh house. at the corner of Front and
az occupied by Messrs. Collier and
r l'~' was in flames.
Is rhe latter gentlemen are bankers and
.he;r office in the rear of the build
'.;h an entrance on Pine St Ad-
;.a the office was room, occupied
] al ~ clerks as a sleeping apartment.
/ arIDou irving the door entering into the
,S,e, i, gave way to very sigh, pres
s'' showing that it was not locked.
WV %'. the smoke was SO dense as to OBJ
] l n.,s every object and prevent admission
| s' .nv distance. An object, however,
. ii J;mly deserted lying at length on the
w. - when by considerable effort il
W. y. drawn out-presentmg to view the
..ose Of a young man named Jacob
~, wy'ss.yer-weli known as a clerk; and who
-" examination, was found to have re-
. 1--we a pistol shot through his head. and
~, ,sveral cuts upon different parts of his
head. apparently inflicted by a bowie
s t,iG, One of his little fingers was also
:. ~ nearly off, hanging only by the skin
eilber by bowie knife or pistol.
The fire continued to rage, until it de.
.,,ved nearly the whole interior Of the
haldjng, and very heavy stock Of mer
sb,ndise owned by Messrs. Simonds &
harrison. Some books, the individual
.muer,y of MIR. Pet.us, were destroyed
sut = drawer containing his bills payable
nd receivable. to a large amount, were
,,scued; that being the only article Of
,,ouerty saved from the banking room
rhe sale of Messrs. Simonds & Morri.
SON in the front part of the warehouse
ras saved without, as we learn, irrepara-
he damage to any part of the contents.
In The banking room was a capacious
vault, containing safe, in which was 9
certain amount of specie. The iron door
ofthis vault is, at the time of writing, il
main view, but has not been approached
i however shows no marks of violence
Simouds g. Morrison's loss on THEN
stock Of goods, and those on commission
;ses,imaled at S30.OOO-of which $40,
900 are insured. The house was the
property of Mr.. George Collier, and was
worth, probably, $4,000, upon which
here was no insurance.
The adjoining warehouse, occupied BY
Messrs.. Kennel, White & Co., was OIL
Gre, and the roof was partially destroyed
Their stock was also seriously damaged
BY The discharge Of water.
The loss Of property, however, though
great, is comparatively trifie.
We have noticed the shocking murder
Of young Weaver. That was not the
only loss. The clerk of Messrs. Simonds
L Morrison, named Jesse Baker, has dis
appeared, and his bones are now supposed
10 lie beneath the ruins. The two young
men occupied the sleeping apartment. In
regard 10 the manner of his death we art
LEFT more to conjecture than in the case o.
Weaver. The latter was known to have
gone 10 the Office about ii o'clock; and a
that hour the discharge of two pistols was
heard by persons in the neighborhood
who, from the reprehensible frequency o
such reports. where no danger is suspec
Ted, occasioned no alarm. As Weaver
was found at a short distance from thu
Office door, it was supposed that he wa:
assaied and murdered Immediately atte1
he entered the room. 91
Nor yet is our record of the destructio,
Of life complete! After the fire had been
'nbdued, a portion of the wall, fronting, OF
Pine street, fell TO the ground, and crush
Cd TO death an engineer of the Union Fire
Company, Mr.. Ansel S. Kimbali.
Baker and Weaver were quite young
men, and arc spoken Of in very hlgi
erms. We personally knew Baker, ane
aways regarded him as most exemplary
I'D worthy young man. MIR Weave'
Fas clerk in the employ of Messrs
Won Phul and M'Gill--snd his parents
i've in the city. Mr. Baker was reared
,hieay in this city, but his parents, w
understand, are dead.
There is, Of course, a good deal o
speculation as to the purposes and pro
seedings of the foul incendiaries and as
sassins, who have perpe.ra.ea these deed
Il horror. From the facility with which
The banking room door opened at tn
time Of the alarm, il is supposed that tn
must have entered by pryln'
open that door. Others conjecture tina
they entered. perhaps, the cellar, dur'n
business hours, and secreted themselve
I'LL night. One of Viewers pockets wa
turned inside out; but his watch was no
skcn; whence it is conjectured that N
person was searched for the keys OF tn
vault. s
The Ere was kindled, it is supposed, i
different parts of the building, not lon
alter the murder. Such frightful outra
ges, as may well be supposed. have pro
duced in this community profound ant
Universal sensation Of horror, grief, an
Indignation.
At large meeting of the citizens, hel