The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-12


Tor Milwaukee, Mr.. Gilbert married young
lady to whom he was devotedly attached,
and who reciprocated the great love bestowed
upon her. Monday morning they bound
their lives together Wednesday morning
the fair young wife lay in the mOrgue, dead.
And at the Plankinton House, writhing in
agony, lies the husband, but a step from
deaths door. 1t is not thought possible
that he can be saved Last night the happy
young couple, in company with others, sat
in Manager Marsh's office at the Opera-house
after the play, until midnight, talking about
the European tour they were to take in. May
with the company, and of the happiness be-
fore them The horrible change of the few
hours it seems impossible to realize. Mrs.
Gilbert arrived on the first train from Chi
cago. The company is doing all possible for
Gilberts relief. but no hope is felt that he
can be saved. John Gilbert's real name was
John Demming. His wife's name was SUIT
ton.
There was a strange incident when Mrs.
Gilberts body reached the morgue. An
lrishman identified the corpse as that of his
daughter. He at once proceeded to strip
from the fingers of the dead woman her
sparkling rings and to wrench the ornaments
from her ears. At that moment old Mrs. Don
ahue reached the morgue, and, with a pas
slonate burst of grief, recognized the body as
that OF her daughteI-in-law. ITS my child"
cried the alleged father, still stripping the
lewelry from the dead woman's person The
grief-stricken old lady and the robber con-
tronteo each other. and the painful scene
amid the CHASTITY surroundings created the
greatest confusion.
TOM THUMB AND HIS WIFE.
Tom Thumb and his wife were rescued
from the hotel by Police Officer OBrien,
who took one of the little people under each
arm and carried them down stairs and across
the street to the American Express office.
They were in their night-clothes, and Mrs.
Thumb suffered much from the cola atnos-
phere. The General, Immediately upon
being planted in the express office, began
mourning the loss of valuable diamonds and
other jeweiry belonging to himself and his
wife The latter heard hun through, and re-
piled reprovingly: "What if we have lost
everything? Just look at those people there"
pointing to the mangled forms of twenty
dead and dying men and women lying upon
the floor The little woman then bravely
began relieving the suferings OF those
around her by supplying them with water
and display of other acts of sympathetic
kindness.
In the evening, at the Plankinton House, a
reporter met the General in the rotunda.
The diminutive Falstaff stood on his tip-toes
to strike match on the base OF the mantel-
piece, and said: Yes the policeman entered
our room, but he did not carry off one of us
under each arm. / went down the Ladder
alone, sir. Yes, 1 think they carried my
wife down, but got down first. Nj body
servant, the colored boy. Charles Kelsey, was
completely burned up and, then, my mana
gers wife, Mrs. Blocker, jumped from the
second-story window, and fractured both her
legs. This is the FIRST ex perience of the kind
that I've had, sir, and don't want any more
in mine"
FATHER AND HIS SONS.
James +. GilliIand states: 81 was in the
building at five minutes past o'clock, and
asked the night clerk if my boys, Willie and
Walter were out. The clerk said all the
help were out. then turned my attention
to the guests, knowing many of them, having
been steward of the house up to October last
On the second floor 1 recognized William E.
Cramer and wife. Mrs. Crafner asked ME and
an unknown gentleman to take Mr.. Cramer
down stairs, which we did by elasping hands,
he sitting on them. In this manner we pro-
ceeded down stairs. Both seemed to be
greatly agitated. Mrs. Craper requested ms
to take Mr.. Cramer TO a hotel After placing
him outside the door, l left him, saying there
were others deserving of attention. l re-
turned and assisted James Ludington and
Judge Paul out Then 1 went to the Michi-
gan street side of the house for a time, and
assisted another across the alley. The last
words my boys said to me last night were
'Good-by, papa tomorrow is payday" The
old man was completely overcome when he
finished telling his story, and went away
sobbing. He said he would have tried to
save his boys if he had known they were
still in there.
WHEN ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS THERE.
New York Man:
81 remember an incident of some little
interest in connection with the Newhall
House when heard Abraham Lincoln make
a speech there long before he was thought of
for the presidency. 1t was Just after he had
been defeated for the United States Senate
by Mr.. Douglas. He made his speech from
the balcony of the hotel to a great crowd,
and had gotten in close behind him with an
old playmate of mine. He told one of the
stories which he was famed Tor telling in his
inimitable style. He said he had been asked
how he felt about his defeat for the senator
ship. Why he declared, L feel Just like
an Illinois boy who was travelling up hill
very fast when suddenly he stubbed his toe
against stone. I'm too big boy to cry,
he said, holding his hand over his foot, but
the plegged thing hurts too much for me to
laugh"
THE PROPRIETOR cRAzED BY THE CALAMITY.
John f. Antesdel, the principal propri-
etor, has become insane over the terrible
affair. He ran up and down Michigan street
moaning and crying, "Oh, oh, oh, my God
who set that fire3" Over his head was black
cloth. He held his hands heavenward, as if
invoking divine aid. When he came to the
mangled body of one of his guests his cries
were pitiful in the extreme, and all efforts to
soothe him failed. His son and partner,
James Antesdel, stood on the street silent
aud unmoved as if paralyzed by horror.
Mr.. Nash. too. is almost wild with grief,
and can only say repeatedly; "Oh, my God!
If these lives were not lost! 1 dopt care
anything about the loss of the building, if
these people had only been savedn' He was
a one-third owner OF the building and con-
tents.
BUNCH OF HORRORS.
Beside pile OF clothing lay the remains of
meager, wan, pale-faced old lady of perhaps
forty-five years, who must have met her death
by falling heavily upon a single telegraph
wire, as her body was literally cat in twain
about the waist.
Among the terrnr-stricken inmates of tie