Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-23
the damages to the main structure are being
rapidly repaired.

rapidly repaired.
Yesterday afternoon the father of patient,
named Fritz, visited the hospital in hopes OF
ascertaining some information concerning
the whereabouts of his son. Young Fritz
was an inmate Of the asylum and has not
been heard from since the fire. He has run
away before and may yet turn up alive
| INoENDIARIsM.
1t is now generally conceded that the fire
was not the result of accident, but that the
hospital was deliberately set on fire. The
idea of accident has been abandoned by DR..
Bartlett and some of the trustees, and the
conviction is wide spread and certain that
the place was fired by the match of the in
cendiary.
To substantiate this, it is stated on the
best authority. that of eye witnesses who
were present Immediately after the alarm,
that the building was on fire in two widely
separate places.
All other theories have been ignored and
on this ground, it is understood, that the
| trustees will order an investigation. This
looks like tardy justice, but better have
solution at the eleventh hour than never.
wANTED-AN INQUEST.
Speaking of an investigation, The most
righteous contempt is expressed on every
side at the foolish course taken by Coroner
Klein, who decided not to hold an inquest
The public demand, and the important char
acter of the case, call loudly for an official
investigation of the Cruises leading to the
disaster, and since the proper official cannot
see his way clear in the matter, the investi-
cation will have to be made by the trustees.
In view Of the widespread censure which
has followed the action of Mr.. Klein in his
determination to not have an inquest, a
GLOBE reporter called on that official yester-
day, to ascertain his reason for not having
an immediate thorough investigation. The
interview was far from satisfactory and in
response to questions the writer was referred
to tie following correspondence:
LETTER OF SUPERINTENDENT BARTLETT.
ST. PETER, Nov. lO-Mr. Klein, Esq,
Coroner Nicoliet County, st. Peter
SIR: desire to notify you officially that in
the fire which occurred at the main hospital
building on the night of the 18th inst. six of
the patients under our care lost their lives in
the flames, seven others have since died from
the effects of I'M juries and exposure then sus-
tanned, and nineteen others are still missing;
q total of thirty-two patients, all male. The
names OF all the above missing patients can be
furnished if desired. You will
p1ShSC tdhc buCn Steps HS
may to you seem proper and necessary,
and notify me in writing at your earliest con-
venience of the course decided upon. We will
promptly render you any assistance in our
power to aid in proper legal determination in
this matter. Yours RESPECTFULLY,
q. 4. BARTLETT, Superintendent.
REPLY OF CORONER KLEIN.
ST. PETER, Nov. 10.-C. K. Bartlett, Super
inteDdent Minnesota Hospital for Insane, ST.
parar-Sir. pIo1., "a
your hands of official notice of the casualties
resulting from the fire q. the main hospital
building on the night of the 10Th inst, and
hereby notify you, as requested, that, after
consultation with the county attorney it is not
in my judgment necessary to hold au inquest
upon the bodies of those who there lost their
lives or who have since died from the effects
of in uries or exposure there sustained. Yours
respectfully, WILLIAM KLEIN,
Coroner Nicollet county, Minn.
In conver alton with a prominent citi-
zen of st. Peter yesterday, the reporter was
informed that this was not the first time
that Coroner Klein had signally failed to per-
form his duty.
Reference was made to the case of Peleg
Bartlett who accidentally shot and killed
boy named George B. Hauer, and was never
put under arrest, being permitted to skip the
country.
In alludlng to the fire yesterday, Coroner
Klein condemned the course pursued at the
time of taking the females from the warm
building as cruel. Many of the women were
hustled cut like so many COWS. They wore
next to nothing, and after night on the
snow they were huddled in the out buildings.
AS matter of course great deal of sick
ness follows such reckless exposure.
A gentleman named John Byrne, who
IL
the doors and rescuing the inmates, was
interviewed by the GLOBE man yesterday,
and stated that, in his opinion, there was
no necessity for loss of life had the attend
ants done their duty. He stated that there
was only one attendant for forty or fifty
patients, and that no attempt was made to
unlock the doors.
In this connection a horrid rumor is afoat
to the efect that the attendants paid more
attention to saving the furniture than to
rescuing the patients.
The reporter held a short conversation
with Mr.. Carl Kahl, who formerly served two
years as an attendant at the asylum.
He thought that if the fire had been properly
managed no lives would have been lost. The
doors were locked, he said, and the attend
ants seemed to pay more attention to the
furniture than to the patients.
| 1t may be mentioned that the citizens of
st. Peter are in arms against the Pioneer
Press, which SO outrageously slurred and
| impugned their motives.
In speaking of the fire day or two ago
| they actually had the temerity to charge the
really generous people of st. Peter with
having stolen $4,000 worth of goods from
the hospital the night of the fire. The
auimusI of ssuch low-lived slurs are appar-
ent, and. considering the paper, are not
worth noticing.
The Management Criticised.
| To the Editor of the Globe.
There are always two sides to question,
and the ''doctor" and his mouthpieces here
| and in ST. Paul had it all ON their OWN side