The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-10-28
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Interview with RHrs. Leary-The Cow
and Lamp story.
From 'he Chicago Journal, Oct. 21.

From ihe Chicago Journal, Oct. q.
:. Rlghtfullv or wrougfuIly, the great 6re Of
strado1 sept . 1868, is laid 70 tha coor of
| fkesnoaie, kept by one Farmer, in Pud-
upK Mne near the tower; and rIKhI' ully or
wlnug1uliN, the great dre OF Chicago, DC 8
iTi, VIZ 20 down 10 history as chargeaole 70
lie ar Leary, dairy woman, living on De
Afven street, between Canal and jefferson
s1hets.
| tcco-dipg to Mistress Rumor, the COW
wman was later than usual about her milk
| M sId TO "lghten" the Job she took a ker.
| ot ine lamp TO the stable. While at her work,
.lthfass sht was draining. up with her right
z irR and the lamp kick, FLASHING
VA %afnirE Amlu against the wall. In an in
rs spaf Nc Woe e-was- in.A4mcs, surf-.t
WIn.5HHsd iltEe 'onlI to escape with reF life
lesviog the kine 70 roast. AEO'her slightly
AIRED version Is that she milked at the usual
tonr, hut in the evening took her lamp and
sent ou- 10 see Il All was right, aLd farcyiug
toat the COW wanted sailing, she put the
amp down BY the door and vent back fcr
nrr salt dish Before the returned the barn
W. sll ab sZa
ice story told that hight and before auy o1e
had tue least idea that a great COT fagration
vas IN store, was caught up w the electric
wires tie next morning, and flashed where
ever telegr,phY extends. Even il it were a
~ ~ olb lOi'1 lItCs NluC VI luc LTu' %,
y would be useless to alter the " verdict OF
history" Mrs. Lesry has made a sworn
statement IN re'uratiOn OF the charge. and il
g backed by Other lffldsvits; but to LttIa
Dur ose. She is in Ior H. and no mistake
Esme has SEE her. ara appropriated her,
uame, barn, COWS, ard all. Sue bus won i'd
spite Of herself, what the Ephesian youth
psnted after,
Now that sur reporters have a little leisure
tor matters OF secondary importauc--ior
things more curious than essentiai-Te send
one Of them to the spot wnere the fire orig
nated, Tor Wbatever c'oucs m4v shroud the
cause OF tne tre, the place wh-re 1t naEun is
quite eVOnn dispute II had tle go1i for
tune 10 find the woman herself and here is
h'5 report O'the interview
In The center Of be block Stands q small
uue story teUen nnut Ga every SIZE arr ashes
and cindeFs. NO house or sned remains
west, south or nlrlh Cf II. and half d zsn
ssn piles 'el tue ? Sser bS Wurre stood
houses on the east or th SOLITARY shapty tOr
i 's that ard 10 Ling moro l IS past *
piaua'ion 1at all the fcsl went ana Jnat w
milTtd. Espeeisly "a ysterIous is it. IRON
tne TACT tLa' tue barn IN which the & w Or
iginattd was hard y more than rod OIL As
the wind was blowing fuIOJ,ly from tie
south southwest, one wou suppose the
sou'hwe-t cOrrer OF The block could easily
have been saved. Bur there Is ~ end to tile
reass OF coDhagra'ion.
we aW stout irish woman, some th rtyy
fve yesrs o. age, standing at the rear door OF
| this s1litary house, " ID a babe iu her arms
taking with one OF her cOuntrymen. Without
announcing cur err4ad. we fell INTO conyer
sation upon the surieet thag evcrvhody y
king and thinking about, gradually lead
lzg Der on 70 hs specih point IL purpose
49, y as 1~e1fsE9-f0-n IeiRlIer Tz1e. ne diae
logue ran substantially Us follows:
keporter-"Are YOU the LADY "a the house2r'
Mrs. Lssry-'l am SIR" K-'H4ve vCu
lived here ion4?" Ms. L-Goug % i've
'esrs h D0 ycu oTl this piact," Mrs. L
i DO r. ID q The trr s'art 10 vOur barn -
irs Ii din \ r w W4a- was iuI2" Ms.
L Five COW d horse sud abUut Two TINS ~
10y ln the lCt W Ri yOur husband an
rXpressmau - Mrs l. - Indldt. he IS not.
We al knocked our living cut of thase hgr
rlessec COWS aud | rrver Z a ciut from Iue
arish II all l1y lite, and ,ue dtr.y Times hsd
10 business ~ ssy Z. hid cess 70 il b.
d3~ DO u, th-' kerosene lamp stor1 -
'.Ts -" There is uIt wlr1 ot trlth III The
hole story. ! sl~aYs mixed my cows bv
Day got md a. yer had lamp w dnv ktud W
: candlf abou- rGv barn. In must have ben
set on IRE. Two neighbOfs at The Far end o.
ne Nlley saw straEWs mau COde up about
uaH past nlne IL the evening Il asked hem
vas TIE alley sralghl through. They tod tin
y was and be went throug b. II wasn't five
minutes TIL t1ey sa tue barn o. ". B Bstore
wa had time to get Gu. the horse or any of
be cows 1t WIS all gCue, ard the ire was run
n'ng in every direction. TIL Doy turned 20
aud s4vad the house. l hope to die II this
isn't eYery word it true. u you was a
priest wouldn't tell 4 any elf arent."
All further questioning was useless. This
woman bad moi cling more or fieIeDt 10 say
10 the 81 ject. Finding that 70 more wss
70 be gathered from her, and feelirE sorry tor
The poor canes los, our reporter someW la I
t-mely and tntely remark d "It was pretty
r b on yoI any saw Rough r. she ex-
CLAIMED, Way, my God. man, 1t was q terror
10 the wCrld IN
The fog viii probably never ri=e from
that barn. Whether fired by an in
eendisry or kerosere lamp kicktd d
ever by an irate Gov, must remain
40 open question. The womau would
naturally snruk from tie responsibility.
hnowing that ,he would he severely blamed
Tor her carelessness, and feeling, il her
Ignorance, thai she might be made 70 suffer
ior t, either by mob violence or the hand Of
The law. Ga the O-her haud, there il nothing
improbable n her story. Que thing is Ger
tam WheJher man or COW, match or lsmp,
The create Ire Of ali the ages begAu in a
dairy Kept ia the very heart o. the cItv