, 1880-11-21
Searching for Dead Bodies Of the
Victims Of the Asylum
Horror.
Six Burned, Seven Dead from Their
Injuries, and Nineteen
Missing.
The Fires In the Nova Scotia Mine Hare
Been Finally distinguished.
Two Children Fatally Poisoned with Bella
donna at Kankakee, I'll.
TIE ASYLUM HORROR.

/ o4' <AO4s. AA44444ss WV. AN AAst@@e ~A~
yelopments in the St. Peter disaster may be
summed up as follows: Farmer McFaddln
| took all assistant early this morning, and
| continued the search for the dead among tile
| ruins. They had not been ut work very long
before McFadden's shovel. delylng in the
brick and ashes, encountered hard sub
stance, which gave way as crustetl snow
gives way beneath sturdy push He hur-
rcdly removed the surrounding debris,
and brought to light burned and
blackencd skull, whose eyc-sockets were
filled with ashes, broken nails, and
pieces Of molten glass; Expression there
was none. The identity could not be posi-
Rossieimer, a Scott County patient, occupied
the room directly over the place where the
skull was found. A bit Of stomach was also
found hard By, probably part OF the body
to which the skull was formerly attached.
At 10: an employt having occasion to go to
the pigsty found huddled up in one corner
patient named Peter Hagan. lie was
partly covered with straw, and almost
dead with cold. He was brought
into the hospital, and when saw him few
moments after lie was shiyering terribly and
nearly dead with cold. His feet were blue
In charge and got him inside of suit of
warm clothing as soon rs possible. 1iagan
escaped about two years ago, and went to
the pig pen, where he was found after two
days. When the watchlnan found him, he
said: "There's another man III there" and
thus having temporarily got the watchman
out OF his way, he fitted from sight and was
not found for two days. The severe strict
lures being upon Coroner Klein for not hold
ing an Inquest develops the following CORE
spondcnce:
STEWARDS OFFICE, MINNESOTA HOSPITAL FOR
TIE INSANE, ST. PETER, Nov Is, 18S0.-1o Hul-
ian. Klein, Esq. Coroncr Of Nicouet County, 81.
Peter: desire to notify you otllcnly thut In
the fire which occurred ut tho Main Hospital
building Oh tho night of tho 18th inst six Of tho
patients under care ost their lives in tho
hames, and seven others have slncc
died from tho effects OF injuries and
exposure then sustained, and nineteen
others are missing, total OF thlrty-two
paticnts,-a1l males. The names of all tho
above patients tan le furnished II desired.
You vii! please take such official action In tho
premises us may TO you sectn proper and nee
cssnry an notify me i'll writing ut your earliest
convenience of tho course dcci*l.sl upon. We
will promptly render yo1 any assistance in our
power to MD III II proper legal determination Of
the matter, Yours. respectfully.
Z. X. BARTLETT, Superintendent.
While the letter indicates Il willingness OH
the part o: its officers to lave an inyestig3,-
tton, 1t also shows conclllsivety that the OK
tent Of the loss of life WIS withheld after the
officers were advised. Following is the
letter Of Coroner Klein i'll iii reply to that Of
Superintendent Bartlett: .:.. : 49,, ::
ST. PETER, Nov. IS, 1E0.-C. Il. Bartlett Super-
tnte'ueut Of the Minncsota Ii0xpitttl far The In
sane ST. Petcr-S1R: hercby acknowledge tho
receipt Of your usliciai nuttce Of the casualties
resulting from tho fire Attic ulaln hnspital-
building on the night OF the 1ath Inst. and here
by notify you, as requested, that, after consul
tntlon with the County Attorney, it is not in my
Judgment necessary to hold an inquest upon the
bodies Of those who lost their lives or who have
since died from the effects of injuries or c1-
posture then sustained. Yours respectfully,
WILLIAM KLEIN, Coroner Nccolict County.
LII explanation Of his position Mr.. Klein
only rciterates the opinion that it was all an
accident, and that lie doesn't intend to hold
all inquest. 4 Pionccr-Prcss correspondent
who has spent several days in investigating
the cause of the catastrophe telesraphs:
1.-THE condition of the hose, which from
long neglect had adhered on the inside, calls
for investigation, in order that the blame
therefor may be placed where 1t properly
belongs. In the two fosptal-buildings in
town there are now over 100 patients,
and the buildings are protected against
fire by two Babcock fire-extinguish-
ers which are not i'll the buildings.
hut in the office between the two. These
buildings have been OH fire several times,
and are now constant source of anxiety to
the officers. The fact that there are no fire.
extinsnishers in these buildings is explained
by the officers by the fact that patients have
access to all parts of the building. Attend
cants retire at Ill early hour, and the care Of
the building is then left to single night
watcfman. After several days investiga-
ton. it is my opinion that the fire would not
have extended as far rs it did If proper care
had been taken BY the officials to have the
hose in working order and to drill the at
tendants fur tire-dnty.n