New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-29


OQsAUA1 1uf1lRH,
lsssryisw MA -. lpsss+GAs Cssss
sfo7q vi yiis sAegA' 6eeFy.isnesd alaw
Is tyrsn iths Caiea1eg gbutae', OetsSers1.1
Asyhtfully Of wir0nxfaaly; tho I1feat IRE Of
London, September 2, 1866, i Laid 70 the
Sei Fu q sss nss Sas Ia s
ss Ss.SSsa tei fssta ts r. & s En-
tory 'ss chsrgsbae II one MI. Ieary, .
dairywoman, living ON ,DeKoyen street, be-
tween Canal and Jefbefson. streets, ,r
According. to Mistress cRunor, the cow
woman was later than usual Sbout her milk
ing, and to Tighten" the Job she took . ker-
osene lamp g the stable While ct her
her right hind 1eK and hit the lamp : kick,
splashing the burning fluid sgAinst the
wall. II an instant the whole stable wa
/ in flames, and the woman had time only TO
escape With her life, leaving the kline to
roast. Another slightly varied version 10
that she MIXED ct the usual hour, but in
the evening took ~ 1amP and went out to
cows wanted salting, she put the lamp down
by the door and went back for her salt dish.
Before she returned the barn was all ahlaze.
The story told that night, and before any
one had the least idea that great confla-
gratiOn was in stofes was caught up by the
electric ryires the next p0rning and flashed
wherever. telegraphy extends.t Even if it
were an absurd rhmor, forty miles wide of
alter ..Ahe verdict of history" Mrs. Leafy
has made . sworn statement in refutation
Of the charge, and it is backed BY other Of.
ddavits; but to little or NO purpose. She is
in for IL and no mistake. Pane has eeized
her, and appropriated herr name, barn, cows
and al. She has won. in spite of herself,
what the Ephesian youth painted for.
Now that our reporters have little leis-
ure for matters of secondary importance
for things more, cuzious than essential-we
send one Of them to the SPOT where the fire
originated, for whatever clouds may shroud
the cause of the IRE, the place where 1t be!
gan 10 quite beyond dispute. He had the
good fortune to find the woman herself,
and here is his report Of the interview:
In the Gentle Of the block stands small
onestory tenement. On every eide are ashes
west, south or north Of it, and half Q dozen
ash piles tell the passef-by where stood
houses on the east Of the solitary shanty
flor il is that and nothing mOre). 1t IL past
explanation that ell the rest went and that
remained. Especialiy mysterious is it, from
the fact that the barn in which the fire orr
ginated was hardly more than = rod of. As
the wind was blowing furiously from the
south southwest, one would suppose the
southwest corner of the block could easily |
have been eaved. But there is no end to the !
freaks of . c0nAagratiOn. II. y. ,,N. 80.
We saw stout Irish woman, some thirty |
five years Of age. standing at the rear door |
Of this solitary house, with babe in her
arms. talking with one Of her countrymen.
Without announcing our errand, We fell
into conversation upon the subject that
leading her ON to the specific |
point in purpose. She was nothing 10th to
tell her tale. The dialogue ran substantially
as follows: IL
Reporter: Are youtthe lady Of the house
Mrs. Leary: / am sir. - l...te-.
Reporter: Have you lived here longi
Mrs. Leary; Going on five years, -.
M Hepo fss;1 Dq y 70" own this place. |
Reporter: Did the fire start in your barn
r Mrs. keary: 1t did. g.. 'pb y SD LAO
Reporter: What was in iti a7,,a ....-
Mrs. Leary: Five cows, . horse and about
.wo tons of hay in the loft ''ei-
Reporter: IL your husband an express
Mrs. Leary: Indsde, he is not. We all
sh 10 all my life. and the dirty Times had
70 business to say it, bad cess to it.
Reporter: How about that kerosene lamp
tory!
Mrs. Leary: There il not a word of truth
q the whole story. I always MIXED my
Ows by daylight, and never had Q lamp Of
ny kind or candle about the barn. 1t
he far end Of the alley saw . strange man
ONE up about halfpast nine in the eve
ing. He asked them was the alley straight
trough. They told him it was, and he
rent through. 1t wasn't five minuteD- till
hey saw the barn on fire. Before We had
me to get out the horse or any of the cows
was all gone, and the fire was running in
very direction. The boy turned to and
aved the house. hope to die if this isn't
very word of it true. If you was priest
wouldn't tell it any different. =,
All further questioning WAS uselese. This I
oman had nothing mnle or different to say s
pom the subject. Finding that no more j
as to be gathered from her, and feeling
'rry for tho poor DANES loss, our reporter {
,mewhat tamely and tritely remarked: {
y was !, pretty rough on you. anywsy;;"
an, it was terror to the world!' !
The fog will probably never rise from
lat barn. Whether fired BY an incendiary =
ker0sene lamp kicked over by an irate
W, must remain an open question. The 7
oman would naturally shrink from the
sponsibility, knowing that she would be =
verely blamed for her carelessness, and
ade to suffer for it, either by mob violence g
the hand Of the law. On thu other hand, b
ere is nothing improbable in her story. d
ne thing is certaia: Whether man or
W, match or lamp, the greatest fire of all
Q ages began in q dairy kept in the very
art Of the city. 81 n
lp0rtant Railroad Soath Of st. Louis. :,
From the St. Louis Republican, e.