Morris tribune., 1880-12-02
The Insane Asylum Fire.

As the days. wear on the only addition
al news to report relative to the insane asyl-
um disaster is in regard to the Identification
nearly a correct list:
BURNED TO DEATH.
8. 8. Prudden, James E. Clinch,
Marcelle Gagyna, Henry Dickman,
Patrick Clancy, Columbus McMullen,
Michael Collippis, Edward Mahoney,
Peter Hagen. Ohas. Ransheimer-lO.
PROBABLY BURNED TO DEATH.
Amos @. Alley, Jacob e. Gfeller,
Tosten l.. Moss, Hans Anderson,
Andy Mckay, Ephriam D. Gordon,
Patrick Fahey, Andrew Ules0n,
Lenore Dufe, Chas. II. Barber-10.
DIED FROM EFFEoT OF FIRE.
John Nyquost, Frederick Leader,
Thos. ONeil Jonathan p. Abrahams,
Jacob Gilles, John x. Thorvildson-5
MISSING AND POSSIBLY LIVING.
Daniel OF Brien, John O. Brennan,
R. s. Quinby, VIM. Fig,
Peter Peterson-5
The work of securing the remains from the
ruins is being prosecuted as rapidly as the heat
will permit. 5+-
1t is entirely probable that twenty or twenty
three human bodies, or the charred and black
ened remains of the same, will be taken from
the ruins, Io one of which it will be able to
positively identify, the crisp and revolving re-
mains hurried into the grave, to be no mere
known than the victims themselves in their
mental darkness have known.
The intention of scattering patients through
the State in county poor houses has been aban-
doned, and aside from those sent to st. Paul,
the others will be provided for as the following
telegram indicates:
ST. PETER, Nov. lS.-His Excellency Gov.
j. 8. Pillsbury: On account of the number
of patients transferred to the second hospital
for insane and the removals by their friends,
we believe by utilizing our chapel and other
rooms of the center building to their utmost
capacity, we can make the patients more COM
Portable here than in the county receptacles,
and therefore request that no further efforts
be made towards their removal by county au-
thorities. VIM. ScHIMMEL,
A. L. SACKETT,
Resident Trustees.
@. K. BARTLETT, Superintendent.
1t is now generally believed the fire was the
act Yf one of the insane patients.
Arrest Of the Observation-Disclosures
Asked.
It is now thought the asylum at st. Peter
was set on fire by one of the patients named
Ben Husselton, of Worthington, MINI. He
has been placed under arrest and taken to the
Nicollet county jail. He was ordinarily sc
tractable as to be employed around the hospi
tal performin menial duties, and was sup
posed to be SO entirely harmless as to be al
lowed the liberty Of the entire building. He
is rather small in stature, very closely knit, ia
about five feet eight inches in height, and
weighs 140 pounds. His hair is slightly tinged
with gray, and when relating the horrible deed
which sometimes he acknowledged, his small
gray eye lighted with tiendish expression Of
delight, which caused shudder to run through
the veins of his hearers. He said this:
Damn them, I would like to burn them
all ! Haven't they broke my head on the stone
floor four or i've times All am sorry for is
that the naptha under the female wing did not
burn and then would have them all, old Bart
lett as we'll as the rest! 1 can only die once
but / only regret that did not complete the
business. ! am ready to stretch hemp, for
made them squirm when was on topr'
1t appears that Ben Husseltou, having been
employed on some outdoor work around the
hospital, in the desire to finish the task, he was
detained little later than usual, and on re.
turning to supper he found that his meal was
cold and unpalatable, upon which he swore
vengeance on the attendants, and told the en-
gineer, VIM. Pearce, that he would have re-
venge on them if he had to burn down the
whole hospital to do it. No attention
appears to have been paid to his
threats, and in a short time after the fire was
discovered in the north wing, and the mani
ac's story that he used naphtha is confirmed
by the statement of several iremen who were
early on the ground. that they heard dull ex-
plosion from the cellar. Immediately after
his incarceration he informed his captors of the
location of the other can of naphtha under the
female wing, which, by some providential cir
cumstance, had failed to ignite, thereby saw.
ing the lives of hundreds of helpless female
patients.
The trustees held a meeting at st. Peter and
passed the following:
Resolved, That Gov. Pillsbury is hereby re.
quested to appoint suitable committee to in.
vestigate all the facts and circumstances con-
nected with the said fire at the earliest date
practicable, said committee to make full re-
port thereon to the governor of all the facts
bearing upon the subject and their feeling in
the matter.
The trustees also awarded the contract for
heating the new asylum at Rochester.
-1sn----