Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-02-06
THE WORK OF FiENDS.
A Most DiaboIical Plot to Destroy
Human Life.
SEVEN LOCKED IN A CAGE OF FIRE.
Men imprisoned in a Shanty and Coal
Oil Poured Down the
Chimney.

ST. Louis, February 5.--A terrible at
tempt upon human life, and one in keep
ing with the reputation of East st. Louis,
was perpetrated last evening. Shortly
after 10 o clock burst of flames envelop.
ing a shsnty near the railroad track was
discovered. After the flames were dis.
covered those who ran to the spot heard
the most heartrending screams and
cies, and it was known that human beings
were imprisoned in a cage OF fire. There
vss no one near the place at the time, but
the glare of the light that Illuminated the
darkness attracted the attention of all the
railroad men that happened to be out.
They ran toward the place, and as they did
so, they heard the most sickening and
piercing shrisks, groans and cries, telling
that human beings were held there in the
fiery cage unable to escape. There vas a
rush to the door and it was forced in, when
two men staggered out, their arms beating,
their clothes ablaze. Other men were
dragged cut Of the ruins.
The spectacle was one TO De long re-
mem mbered BY all who witnessed it. The
victims as they came out were seized By
rough but friendly hands and rolled about
on the ground in the snow The light from
the burning shanty cast glare over the
throug, and presented a picture that re-
minded one OF the old prints Of battles.
The faces Of the victims were blackened,
and and long strips of flesh pseled of, pre-
senting horiid sight, such as only burned
flesh can. The uniortunstes were taken to
the Relay Depot, where they were attended
TO.
HOW THE FIRE ORIGINATED.
There were seven men taken out Of the
building, and when they all got together in
ths depot their means and groans made
the spectators tremble and shiver with
horror. During the brief intervals that they
forgot thair burns and pains, they told
how the FIRE originated. They had stroll
ed in one by one TO the shsnty in
order to warm up, and were sitting
around the stove talking, when
suddenly the stove seemed to burst open
and the flames went all about the room
enveloping the men before they could turn
toward the door. The could only beat
about with their hands and struggle with
each other in an eudeavor to get to the ex-
it. They grappled with each other and this
impeded their escape, and it seemed an
eternity before they heard the cries OF
those who came to the rescIe. They re-
membered very distinctly that they
smelled coal oil as the flames burst out
around them,
FIENDlsH ACT.
The FIRE was the result of either prac'
tical Joke or of a deliberate attack upon
the lives of the men TO settle an old grudge.
The strange manner in which the fire
started can only be accounted for on the
ground that some wretch poured oil down
The chimney to the stove. 1t is said that
the man who did the deed is known, as be
had o grudge against one Of the men. and
declared but recently that he would get
even If it took him years TO do 1t
Near the back of the shanty on the ground,
was found tin can, that evidently had
contained coal oil, Some Of the railroad
msn who ran to the rescue of the impri5on-
ed yictims said that the light OF the blaz,
;rg shanty disclosed to them the figure OF
man beating a hssty retreat from the Vi
cinity, but they did not know at the time
of the horrible circumstances attending the
origin of the confsgration il the man
who carried out such q fendish plan OF
yeprean % had been captured, he would
surely have been lynched.
NAMES or tbs vlCTIHs.
The names Of the unfortunate men are:
( Morris MGGlynu
Jas, Donohue.
( Wm. Gilkey.
/ Pat Boyle.
Scott Sandersod.
/ Jos McGee.
Fred Erickson.
/ Tbsy are al tsa.fu)ly LI:aed. bat it is
believed thai Eone Of them are fatally in
jured.
A HORRIBLE PLAN or REYEAGE.
Scor, Sandersou, one ot the injured men
was seen this morning aud stated that ear
IL in the evening, when his men vent in't
the shaaty for supper, they expected trou
bic for on opposing and uDtriendly ganE
of men had been there before them, ant
had fastened ,be 8lndo ss and door OF thu
building Sarderson snl his friend, no"
ever, soon gained almiiaace As soor
a, tbcy entered The doo- o! the :Ganty wa'
closed by some one from without and Sc
cureIy fastened, and a.most immedis:e!.
afterwards powder began 70 be thrown dow
the chimpey. This. hOveToI did not Eesol
seriously, Snd tie usn within hlled tn
stove With oily waste il order 70 make tn
chimney, c common stoveP'Pe, so not tha
hose above could not approach it. Thos
without lbeu resor.td 10 pouring oil in tn
cbimney. ana immsd a:ely the room va
filed with tl1mes.