Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-10

lchanical pulsing sound of the engines in
full work-,he rush and gurgle, the hiss
and splash of falling water-and the
screaming of the flames, which seemed
10 issue chiefly from the floors above me.
and from the buiitout shop at the back
of the house.
Trembling all over, stepped from the
window-sill on to the projecting cornice
of the shop-front below. then let my
self down gradually, and after clinging
to the ledge for a moment dropped
several feet on to the pavement. l was
saved from falling by the sturdy arms of
policeman was half sufiocated, and
my eyes smarted terribly; my hands
were torn and bleeding, and both ankles
seemed badly sprained; otherwise, was
uninjured.
In right, suppose, Of my narrow es-
cape, and my lawful interest in the catas-
| trophe, was permitted to remain near
the fire-engines and to watch the prog
ress of the confiagration. i was not
conscious for some time that my dress
was most incomplete, and that l was up
to my insteps in water.
Suddenly / found Aaron Reklam close
beside me. He started back when he
observed me-not merely with surprise,
but also, as / judged, with alarm and
aversion. He was in state Of extreme
agitation.
| IT never dressed SO quickly in my
| life" he said, In tremulous voice, and
he rubbed his hands together nervously.
| He was bareheaded-I could note by the
| light of the flames his partial badness;
| but his attire was complete in other re-
spects, even to the neat adjustment Of
| his ghirt-collar and neckerchief. could
not doubt that he had never undressed at
all.
He turned his cleaning eyes full upon
me; his gaze seemed to me more baneful
and malefcent than ever For mo-
ment almost dreaded personal violence
at his hands.
"You've had narrow escape, he said,
every narrow" He looked as though
he prudged me my life most bitterly.
at was an accident; though it broke
out in two or three places at once. /
can't think how it happened" And again
he glared at me.
"You can't either, ! suppose?" he
asked
q cannot tell" ! said family
at will be the ruin of me-of the firm
the complete ruin"
| you're not insured"
eyes, we're insured but not for the
full amount-not nearly-only for tri-
| fie"
"And your brother-Mr. Nathan-is
| he safer"
He was, q moment ago. But he went
| back told him there was plenty OF time
| to save some documents of value"
"And he's not been seen since:"
"No, not since But il was only a
moment ago He's all right. Nathan
knows what he's about"
The horrid truth then burst upon me.
The place had been set on fire for the
sake of the insurance money, and i had
! been decOycd to be ledger, and de-
stroyed, in order to give a color to the
proceeding. While this passed through
my mind Nathan Reklam made his APP
pearance at the open private door, With
wild cry Aaron rushed toward him, and
! shut the door He wished to be the sole
| beneficiary. The confusion was so great
that few took heed of the brothers
| Thick clouds of dust now mingled with
| the smoke. The crowd was driven
farther back by some yards. Even the
| firemen were forced to retreat.
The outer wall of the house had fallen.
/ remember nothing more. i was
| found as / afterward learned, stretched
| senselcss upon the wet roadway, and
was carried upon the shoulders of
| friendly bvstanders to a neighboring
| tavern. There remained some days in
an alarming condition of exhaustion and
| delirium.
The Brothers Reklam were not again
seen alive. 1t was generally agreed that
they had both persisted in the fire of
their own neutrality-suspicious. had
overtaken them in terrible way. No
| trace of them was ever discovered in
the ruins of the building. Nor were any
relics found of the treasures that had
once filled their premises TO overlooking.
My own belief was, and Is, that these
had been carefully and steaithily re-
moved some time before the fire broke
out.
Brief paragraphs in the newspapers
were devoted to the "Serious Conflagra-
tion in Soho-Two Lives Lost" Moth
ing was ever said publicly, however, as
4 to the suspicious nature OF the occur
| renee.
AT later date / was able to ascertain
/ that Messrs Reklam's house and its
| contents had been insured to q very
large amount. OF the early history of
the brothers could learn nothing. The
firemen made no secret of their opinion
that the fire was the result Of design.
The flames, they said, had been seen to
burst forth simultaneously from three
distinct parts of the house. Something
also they did not hesitate to allege as to
the employment of naphtha or turpentine
to quicken the action of the fire. And
they congratulated me, as ] congratu-
lated myself, upon my almost miraculous
escape.
No relatives or representatives of the
brothers ever appeared to claim the
amount Of the insurance money No
one indeed, even ventured to own kin
dred with the departed Reklams. / have
often been told that knew more about
them than anybody else. Well, ] did not
know much; but certainly, to my think
! ing, ] know enough.
Had any claim been made upon the
! policies, / was informed that the offices
were fully prepared to resist it, simply on
the ground of fraud, and Of this, as in too
many cases, there was held to be very