The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-02-09
BURNING OF THE HALLIDAY
HOUSE.
LOSS OF LIFE-coRoNER's INQUEST.

An account OF the burning of the Hal
liday House on the morning of yhe 31s
of January, and of the chief incident.
connected with it, was publish in the
TELEGRAPH last week, and need not now
be repeated An account of the death OF
Mrs Merrill and her four children anG
probably Of Edwin Wade, in the burning
building, and the proceedings of the Cor
oner's Inquest on the remains Of the
bodies Of the victims of the fire, as TAR as
they had transpired, were also published
were also published. Since then, the
Coroner's Inquest has been completed,
and to-day we publish the proceedings
entire. Simon Fuller, clerk Of the Halli-
dly House, died on the ID inst, and one
or two Others are said to be in great dan
ger.
We have had many fires in Kenosba,
and some of them very large ones, and
very destructive in their effects, sweep,
ing away important parts Of the city aud
devouring property of much value. But
no fire has come home to the sympathies
and hearts of the people like the one
which destroyed the Halliday House
Heretofore there has. been no loss,of life
In the fire which destroyed the Halliday
House, five human beings lost their lives,
f-- . + 4 q
and their bodies were partly, and some
of them almost wholly, consumed by the
devouring flames. Another has lost
his life in consequence of injuries re-
ccived in the burning building whilst
trying to save Others. And the lives of
others are still in danger from injuries
received in the burning building or in
getting out of it. No wonder that the
sympathies and hearts Of the people are
reached as never before Aud long will
it be before the sympathies and heart
feelings subside, and the burning of the
Halliday House, and the terrible scenes in
connection with 1t become dim In re-
i'tti at'
The Coroner's Inquest adds but little
to what was previously known. And
like many inquests, it is not very salts
factory. The Jury find that the persons
whose bodies were before them came to
their deaths in consequence of the fire Of
the Halliday House, that the probable
origin of the fire was owing to carelessness,
or negligence of some person lighting
and leaving small lamp without a chin
ney burning in the lamp room, and that
the Halliday House was left open at the
main entrance without watch during the
latter part of the night. There was mol
question about the deaths being caused
by the fire, the smoke being a consequence
of the fire. Andsthere WAS no question
about the fire commencing in the wash or
lamp room, both being partitioned off by
boards from the main entrance room, and
only separated from each other by 6. par
tial partition of boards Having been a
boarder in the Halliday House for nearly
two years, and having left it only about
eleven weeks before the fire, onreading the
testimony of one oft the witnesses of a little
bronze lamp with round wick and with
out chimney burning in the wash room.
10 4
quaintance, and, If we are not very much
mistaken, we saw it burning more than
once in the lamp-room. A more danger.
Gus place for keeping lamps and kerosene
could not easily have been constructed
in the Halliday House. Still the lamp
might have burned there safely, if it had
not been tipped over or something left or
brought within reach of its blaze. That
one or the other was done, there can be
but little doubt. How or by whom either
was done, was not brought to light
by the Coroers Inquest.
How the Justice and Jury could Sind
that the Halliday House was LETT open at
the main entrance without watch during
the latter part of the night" left as much
in the dark as the origin of the fire. It is
not in the testimony as reported for pub
LEGATION. Maggie Brown says she did not
see any one when she went in. Some
one was going up or down the stairs,
she did not know which, when she went
up. That one may have opened or un.
bolted the door to let her in. She Is the
only one proved to have gone into the
house during the latter part of the night