The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-05-08
A HUMAN HOLOCAUST.
Shocking Occurrence by the Burning
of a Michigan County
Almshouse.
Fourteen OF the Pauper Inmates Caught
In Their Beds and Entirely
Consumed.
Hartford Mich telegram

The Van Buren, County Poorhouse. situated
two and one-half miles east Of this village, was
burned TO the ground this morning. Fourteen
hampers were burned to death, and many Others
narrowly escaped with their lives. The cause Of
the fire is unknown. II originated In the in
mates sitting room on the first floor, and when
discovered was beyond control. The county
farm lies midway between the villages or Hart
ford and Lawrence three miles rom p, escn, ana
flames were discovered the buildings were al
ready SO involved that help would have been use-
less. The buildings comprised a large two-story
frame upright, with wing extending east and
a two-story addition projecting south from the
rear OF the main building. The latter was occu-
pied by a The ms saa
was aroused by the cries OF the inmates. Going
down the hall he opened the door TO the two
story addition, when he was almost overpowered
He had barely time to give the alarm in the Su-
perintendent's quarters. The panpers In the
ADDITION were slrea pasJ nelp ,th tha;s
lives. nothing else being saved but TWO or three
articles of furniture.
ished: Jimmie Johnson, from Covert; Henry
Bankes, from Waverly; BENJAMIN Bogardus,
from Breedsville; Thomas Sawyer, colored,
from the Kalamazoo asylum; Jonathan Sargent
- Myers, from Waverly; Peter Golden. from
Keller; Caroline Lang, from Covert; Caroline
SaPrer, from Covert. 1irs. OufJlS, lIOu DIetus-
vile; Mrs Wilson and her S-year-oid daughters
Ann Mara and Debby Gravel, OF Bangor.
When morning came the ruins presented a
sickening sight. The victims OF the contfagra-
ton when taken from the ashes and half-con-
sumed timbers of the building. were so burned
as to be unacceptable, horrible masses OF flesh
and bone, impossible TO identity, being viewed
by hundreds of visitors.
The addition con tanned sleeping accommoda-
tions for about twenty, and the only ones who
escaped were a boy named Parker, who jumped
from the second window, and two little boys
of Mrs Wilson. Their mother and sister per-
ished in the flames. The remainder OF the in
mates were in a detached building known as
the jail" They comprised the idiotic. violently
insane, ETC. Between that and the main struct-
ure there was another detached building, the
distance separating the two being, perhaps, forty
feet, which delayed the progress of the flames
till the inmates of the Jail" could be saved.
One OF the occupants of the Superintendents
quarters was his daughter, just recovering from
an attack OF typhoid fever. She was saved.
The inmates who were lost comprise the bet
ter class of paupers, those in a comfortable
condition and able TO assist about the premises.
The county authorities have made provisions in
the neighborhoOd for the temporary care OF the
remaining inmates. There were about sixty oc-
cunants of the burned buildings.
The loss TO the county on building and con-
tents is about $40 900, on which there Is 5000
insurance. Mr.. Cash the overseer, lost all his
goods, 10 the value Of about $500, on which there
was no insurance.