The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-02-09

Below we publish the testimony given at
the inquest held upon the bodies of the PER
sons burned to death at the destruction Of
the Halliday House, on Tuesday of last week
We print the testimony entire:
In the matter OF the inquest uDon the body
of Mrs. Kate Merrill and her four children,
Henry, Frederick Mary and Kittie, before j
3. Jilsun, Justice of the Peace in and for the
city and county of Kenosha:
GEORGE W. SMITH, SWORN.
am thirtytw years OF age. know Mrs
Kate Merrill; she is married. her husband left
here two weeks ago or so; she was stopping
last night between 10 and IL O'Clock; her
sroom was No. 8 in the northwest rner of The
house, upon the third floor fom the ground
She had family Of four children; their names
Wern Henry, about the age of IL years; Fred
erick abont the age of years; Mary, about
the age of 5 wears Ktue, about the age of
2years. Mrs. Merrill and family were at the
Halliday House last evening the Halliday
House was burned his morning about half.
past four O'Clock; there was an alarm given
in the house; was hen in my room got
up and opened my door il was right near
the flames; | occupied room "A - the smoke
rushed into my room / got my wife up and
we came out the door under the flames, ana
got down front stairs in our night clothes
We bad to bend down O get under the flames
went under Mrs Merriil's window and halo
ed, then went across TO Enge's house and
got pair Of pants; then | went back to the
. house and was going up the entrance, but the
door was fastened, and got into the pantry
room. saw Capr9n 90 down east side ST airs
all on fire: didn't hear Mrs. Merrill at all.
The fire originated in T. he lamp room or wash
om-f don't know where, the rooms were
adjoining; don't know who had been in the
Iamp room. | was the proprietor of the
ha paIl ri bafo I h..
fire. Mrs. Merrill was in our room till half
pas ten last evening; the children were abed
She had two rooms opening into each other.
Simon Fuller had had charge of the lamps;
he is badly burned as | am informed. heard
no explosion of the lamps; Simon trimmed
the lamps kept in the lamp room We kept
lamp burning right over the office desk all
night, bur not in he wash room.
FREDERICK S. LOWELL, SWORN.
[ went to bed about IL O'Clock; heard Mrs
Merrill in her room her room adjoining
mine ; heard some person | supposed to be
her. wentto sleep, and was awakened at
what hour don't know from the alarm of
fire; supposed the. fire off outside of the
house, and proceeded TO dress; got my pants
on when / heard some person repeat the
alarm, and raped on the door and cried fire.
Immediately after this tn door OF Mrs Mer-
rill OPP ned and she or some person rushed in.
to The hall; | heard a child scream, and heard
her VOICE. think it was hers; heard her
Oldest hoy on his crutches [ then became
satisfied that the fire was in the house and
that the danger was imminent. gathered
up my coat and hat and rushed into The hall;
1t was filled with smoke and a bright light
from be ow; it was impossible, to see anybody
in The hail: thought l saw person, sup
posed it to be her; got into the passage and
Went south, and took a look below thought
could not get down the main stairs and
concluded | could get to the ladies' private
fOUr nhOnlE w on
near he southwest corner Of the room for
merIy occupied by Reed; grouped along Till
l came TO the passage down to the dining
roCTc, and started down it, but the heat was
so Intense after making a step or two ] turn
cd back and went To The east window of the
ha and looked below TO see il the snow was
deep enough to risk jump had occasion.
l was satisfied it was dangerous, and went
back to the main hail, and as turned the
corner heard a womans voice judge d the
Aames were licking up through the passage
way md stopped an instant: the light shown
up tom the Office way; in grouping along
was brought up by wood box; went TO a
window and pulled open the sash to get out
on the top of the awning after | got out
called come this way-here is a way but
heard no reply; it was out towards the prvy
walk. l saw Wilder upon the same way; saw
smother person-learned it was ChaSe--jump
from the fourth story and fall on an awning,
and thence fall of the back way / will say
that in coming back | came across one per
son and have reason to think it was Charles
Brown | heard a person go up stairs to the
fourth story, it was probably Wilder; he got
int O room No. s.; said he heard Mrs. Merrill
| was in the third story room nearly opposite
Mrs. Merrill's Have been at the Halliday
House six months there is always a light
kept burning at night over the desk. | have
never seen a light of any kind burning in the
lamp room the fire took place in the lamp
room.
EMNIL SIENNA, SWORN.
I assisted in finding the decd bodies after
the fire; we first found the lame boy called
Henry; we kept on digging and found a child
smaller than him, then we found another one
right close to the second one. After digging
little further we found the baby lying with
an arm around it, it was Its mothers arm; we
found her body near, the child was lying on
her lett arm, the little one and mother were
together We took the bodies all out, what
Shere was left OF them the head, feet and
hands were all burned off We laid them
down by the doorway of the feed store, and
then they were taken and put into this box
altogether, aud these are the bodies here that
We dug out from the debris of the Halliday
House after the fire There were five of them
the mother and children.
AsAHEL FAIR, SWORN
l am o physician, practiced "a years. The
larger body before this inquest is unquestion
ably that OF female; the Others are bodies
OF children.
CHARLES BROWN, SWORN.
/ heard the alarm of. fire and got up anC
started out OF my room to go towards the
stairway: went about one half the way of tn,
hall and there was so much smoke and hea
could not go down; turned to go back anC
met Mrs. Merrill. My room was upon the &c
aoor to the north end upon the west side, No
5; Mrs Merril's room directly south of mine
on same floor; had no conversation with
Aer. / could not find my room when cam,
back; got into the next room south and go
out of the window there | only went one
halt the way of the stairway, got suffocatet
and returned az I have stated / first bearf