Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1880-08-19
gps Sugeles altrald.


AOuuat bUttctH ptibs
following detalle Of the horrible
tragedy In Oakland on Sunday, the
result OF family debauch:
Three bodies, charred and burned
- that resem blance to human form
= almost lost-bodies'of young and
1nnocent children = lie at the
norRue at akIand, and tell with
|1moro force than could words the
tory OF an awful holocaust.
Yesterday, family consisting OF
3 husband and wife and four child
ron, with visitor, were spending
! fhe Sunday ut the house on Second
street, between Madison and jack
non. The father, James Kalaher,
A. an itinerant vegetable peddler.
HE wife, on free market days. sold
potatoes from a wagon. The house
Vas Z little one-story shanty with
3 sloping roof, and contained three
xooms, . living room or parlor, a
Kitchen and bedroom, the family
living Ia squalld way. The To-
osllty 10 near the arm of the bay
known Ra Oakland creek, aud
marsh lots form the foreground OF
she view from the rear Of the
howell.
The ueighb ors say that Mr.. and
Mrs.. Kalaber were accustomed &c
oelebrate the Sabbath by drinking
guam titles of beer, and yesterday
Was no exception to the rule. They
were known in the neighborhood
- turbulent and noisy family
Mrs. ]. r. Fenton, who resides al
the corner of Derby aud Fulton
streets, Berkeley, arrived at the
Kalaher residence about noon yes
terday, to speud the afternoon and
night there. Large quantities OF
beer must have been taken by the
occu pauts, rs shown by the best oil
oisCu mstantial evidence,
In the afternoon the family was
Waited by Mr.. and Mrs. Green. who
live Immediately next to the Kala
hers In = house of similar construc
eton and equal squalor. During
Nj. Green's stay he called Mrs
KslAhcr an offensive name, auC
both he and his wife were expelled
from the house by Kalaher.
DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
The next scene in the tragedy &C
Cured At u quarter past ten in til,
evening. Mrs. Antonio, who live
not far from the house, saw flame
omergiug from the Kalaher house
and Immediately ran toward it
Near the door she met Lizzie Kali
oher running from the house ant
ecreamiDg. Mrs. Antonio imme
diAtely ran and gave the alarm
The vicinity was quickly occupied
by = motley crowd anj the screaml
OF the little girl telling the horribl,
tale that there were living people
IN the house. A number of mel
rushed in to save whom they
could. The house was en-
volOped in flames, but foul
men succeeded in bringing Mrs
KAlaher out of the house and tool
her to the house ncross the street.
Jimmy Kaiaber, SIX years OF age,
wns rescued alive, but he was bor-
] 1ibly burned aud lived tn terrible
agony untii 8 o'clock this morn.
lug. when the spark Of life fled
Eugepe Kalaher, five years of age
WAS burned TO death in bed The
youngest OF the family, Annie. two
years old, also was burned TO dealt
In bed, aud the bodies were not re
8 moved until the fire was eXtin'
guished. Mrs. Fentol was awak'
ened by the heat, and seeing the
names jumped from the back win
dow. Her feet and face are badly
burned. Her arm had been broken
some time ego, and in jumping
abe must have fallen on it aud ~.
broke II. She was carried into a
barn near at hand. She and Mrs.
Kslaher were taken this morning
70 . room in the brick store on the
corner of second and Broadway.
KALAHBR's WHEREABOUTS WHEN
THE FIRE OCCURRED.
At the time the fire broke ouI
Kalaher was at the corner Of
B Fourth aud Broadway. lie, haC
met Green, and they were renew
/; Ing the quarrel of the afternoon
The police were compelled to inter
fore 10 preyeut a Disturbance. Kali
aher ysas under the Influence o
Vqu0r at the time. He aud Greer
were separated and put in dlfferen
houses. Kalaher broke away ant
again began row, when he Wa,
taken to the City Prison for safe
Keeping.
(. In the meantime the fire wa:
orackling and blazing. Tue De.
pArtment was promptly at the spot
but the house aud those in it were
devoured, and 1t burned like a tin.
der box TO the ground. The house
OF Green is only about foot dis
tant, aud only by complete satura
sion. from the Fire Department
hose was 1t saved.
THE STORY OF THE SURVIVING
CHILD.
Lizzie, eight years old, the only
survivor Of the four children,
bright-iaced little girl, tells the only
story that il known Of the origi,
sud circumstances Of the fire. She
nays that she was lying awake OF
her bed ID tue sleeping apartment
ID which all were lying at the time
She was the only one awake. They
had all been drinking, anu she Wa.
afraid aud anxious. The first thing
she saw was, using her own expires
nl0u, lamp jump up to the ceIlIue
aud everything catch fire. She
Jumped up and threw a pail OF
water ON the blaze, but 1t only
burned worse. she then ran Out
and screamed. This would indicate
that lamp which had been left
burning exploded. But peither sh,
NOR Mrs. Antonio heard u report
When she threw water on the burn
ing coal oil the oil naturally floatet
gu top Of the water. burning viii
~ much ferocity rs before.
Mrs. Fentou was able to talk