The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-31
HOME NEWS.
Progress Of the Coronerial III.
quiry into the Newhall
House Holocaust.
sJnusual Number OF Failures Denver
Visited By q Terrific wiDc. Storm
The Jsnuary Corn Corner.
NEwHALS- HoUsx ,HoREoR.
r~stimszy of Landlord satisdeI Before the
Coroner,s-9 Rry.

T~stime1y of Landlord E1tisdel Before the |
COroner.s-gn nry.
MILWAUKEE Jan. S3.--fhe inquest in
the Nswhsll House osse began this Rorn-
ing.
TIE first testimony read was that OF
Blectzer, nss.nager OF the Tom Thumb com
pary, Wig escaped from the bur ning build
ing. Hetiad sent in q written deposition,
which, hs.~ever, threw light upon the
.cause OF the fire or condition of the nnila-.
iBg.
Lands ord Ant:sdel is ROW on he stand.
EIe can give nc explanation OF the oaese
but TIM the fire was the work OF an Ines-l-.
diary. When she was aroused the IRE had
got sU ch head~ay that all he could do vas
to save himsetS and family. When the lat
ter was safe be wanted TO return inte the
bailGing, bat was prevented by hls sons.
iHeIoticed very strong smell of gas and
tunbsarable beat This leads him to believe
thai somebody who started the fire bad
turned on the gas and that the explosion OF
the latter spread the fire with lightning lise
speed through all parts of the building Ris
examination Will be continued during the
day.
Mrs Blocker, wife of Tom Thumb life
long business manager, who was ins sured
while escaping from the NewhSll House,
died last evening from her injuries. She
was forty six years old. Her body wil be
taken to Brooklyn for interment.
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 23 Landlord Antsdels s
statement at the CorOner's inquest IL the
Newhall House disaster contains the follow
ing points: When ne went to bed on the
night of the fire there were abeUt forty
guests in the house. Two pages of the regis
ter were filled. Retired about 1889 Had
in the house probably fifty or over female
employees. His son or Clerk Tiee also paid
help. They slept on fifth floor, en- west
side on the alieyway. There was
door across the servants hallway at the
south end. It was kept locked until the ell
evator fire of MaTch (, 1874. The door was
thin, and could be pushed down 6y any
g1rl. On December there we're al told
eighty employed, but business had been
light and many had been dismissed. There
were thirty males, and most o.
them slept at home HAD one
night CLERK. Tom Delaney, aH& night
watch Mckenzie. The latter's duties were TO
make rounds through the halls to-see that
everything was right; was supposed 70 90
through the house every hOur and ofetner.
When late trains came In he took care oil
the baggage. and occasionally took man
up in the elevator; vas night porter and
bOotblack, but while occupied at the latter,
Delaney made the rounds. Watch
man carried no stop-watch or clock.
There never was an alarm bell on the prem
ises. There was 20 fuel in the room neaI
the elevator Discovered rubbish in the
room back of the elevator and had 1T re-
moved through Mr.. Nash and the room
locked. The elevator was enclosedin pine
lumber. and had not shrunk
apart. There was no grease al
tie bottom OF the elevator. The open
court was not used for storage. person
coming in on Broadway could 90 down into
the basement at any time On michigan
street. Tenants on the ground floor leased
from C. ID. Nash. There was not .
particle of fire in the basement except
in the engine room. There was
fire plug in the latter ROOM Most o.
the stores and offices on the ground floor
and hotel were heated by steam from the
hotel boilers. George Scheller had charge o.
the billiard and bar-room. Since IL wa
fixed over, year ago last May, persOI
could from Michigan street go into the bar
room and billiard-hall. and down into th'
basement to the foot OF the elevator. Th'
fire escapes we-e the same as in the Plankin
ton House. There were Ho sing
or indications to show whef,
the fire escapes were located
The house bad been afire since he had beer
there upwards of thirty times Antisde
said any part of the house that he hsC
charge of could not have produced such
fire unsIded. Occupants OF the fifth fiOoI
were nearly all lost because OF the hot al
and smoke which poured up as II shot ou
of a gun, and they were strangled
Gould not tell whether occupants on thi
floor lived until floor burned under them o
not, as two of the girls were taken oat in
helpless condition. Could not tell hoV
many girls had been saved, as the beads Q
different departments hired their own helI
The testimony OF his sons followed, bu
did not differ materially. Adjourned unit
tomorrow. The District Attorney says b
wants 10 show that the first ones that trie
to escape had a harder time than those sftel
ward. The first one seemed TO be sulferin
with burning gas.