White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-02-17

Iron the Cincinnati Enquirer, Jan. 3d.
A Notorious Bagnio Destroyed by Fire
Loss about S., O00-A Young and
Beautiful Courtesan Perishes in the
Flames.
About four o'clock yesterday morning
an alarm was sounded, and soon after it
was discovered that a notorious bagnio,
on Western Row, above Fourth Street.
kept by woman named Margaret Fay.
and formerl1 .sEeupieL by Madame Annie
Richmond, Us on FIRE. The house, a
frame, standing at the corner Of the alley,
is so dry and inHammable from the number
of coats Of paint that have been given it,
that it burned like finder, and would have
been entirely consumed in less than TWEEN
ty minutes The engines, however, were
promptly on the ground. and succeeded
in arresting and extinguishing the flames
in few minutes after their arrival, but,
unfortunately. not before one Of the girls
The youngest. and fairest and least cor
rupt-had met with horrible death.
On the premises there are two build
ings. one in rear of the other, and in the
further one the poor victim slept. The
origin Of the FIRE is hardly known, but an
old negro servant in the house. who was
the first to perceive it in the lower rooms,
supposed it to have been cansed by burn
ing SCOT falling down the chimney into
one of the parlors. She gave the alarm
/ and endeavored to arouse the inmates,
but before she had thoroughly done so,
the flames drove her back. Several po-
licemen speedily arrived. and placing a
ladder against the building. got into the
upper apartments and carried out two Of
the women, who might have persisted in
the flames but for their timely assistance.
/ AS soon as the fire subsidized, one Of the
girls named Josephine Ellison, was mis-
sed, and search being made. her body,
charred and blackene,l. was found in her
room, at the foot of the bed.
( A young man. who had been her cam
pagno Ie nuit. and whose name we sup
press, testified that he was alone with her
in her room. and that they were awaken
ed by the smoke. She arose and went out.
and returned, and then he began throwing
different articles of furniture out OF the
window. While he was so engaged. an
other girl came in and told him he must
not stay there any longcr--that there was
danger Evincing 10 disposition to leave,
she picked him up, and dropped him ont
of the window some fifteen feet into the
yard below, and followed herself Nei-
Their of them saw Josephine again until
they witnessed her blackened corpse.
Josephine was but eighteen years Of age,
aud had come here only few weeks since
from Missouri, having been known neal
st. Joseph, in that State. She was q
novice in the horrid pursuit in which she
had embarked, and remarkably pretty,
her features being regular and delicate
She appeared well educated end we'll bred,
and displayed various indications of a
nature vastly superior to the kind gener-
ally found in such abodes of licentious.
ness She had left home Of ease and
comfort, it is said, because she had been
betrayed by young man to whom she
was affianced, determining to hide hel
shame by fight. Her'swas a melancholy
fate, Judged outwarlly, but the best, per,
haps the most merciiul that could have
befallen her. And yet it makes one shud-
der to tlSnk of the hOrrid death, and oil
the contrast few brief minutes produced
While in the dawn of youth, beautiful
but dishonored, intellectual but desperate
proud but ruined, with the future thou
sand times worse than blank before her,
she sank down upon blazing couch, and
the fierce flames were her only winding
sheet.