Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-27
ROASTED ALIVE.
A SHOCKING DISASTER, OUT ATMAYNARD.
BELMONT COUNTY.
4 House Fired by Incsudiariss While Filled With
Sleeping Psopls-Thrss Inmates Burned, and
Othsn Have Very Narrow Escapes.

Ohss Have Very Narrow Escapes.
Maynard, over in Belmont county, is
one of those automatically laid out and
planned little villages which spring up
about the mouths of all large coal mines.
It is located about twelve miles out on the
Cleveland, Lorain and Wheeling railroad,
and its population consists mainly OF
miners ard mine lsborers employed in the
Pittsburg and Wheeling Coal Company's
mines ct that place. ~
There are two rows Of small one story
frame houses, on strip OF low land near
the creek, and back Of them, and lissle
higher up, stands row of two
story frames. In one of these
William Prosser and wife and their family
of six children lived, and next to them
William Brantner and family.
About half-past eleven o'clock Wednes-
day night some one passing along the street
in front of Prosser's house discovered that
the entire rear portion Of the house was
in flames. When first seen, the fire had
MADE GREAT Roadway
and was cracking and smoking furiously,
having burned the Misunderstanding al
most through. The inside Of the house
seemed to be on fire too, as smoke was is
suing from window in the
hallway. The discoverer of the
flames spread the alarm and
in few minutes the entire population was
on the ground. Ebenezsr Co.'S burst open
the door and alarmed the family, all OF
whom escaped in safety, except the father,
William Prosser, his son John, aged ten,
and William John Morgan and his brother
John William Morgan, who made their
homes there. The two Morgan boys
whose names are so similar, are brothers,
aged about twelve and fourteen years re-
spectively. Prosser and his son occupied
a room at the head of the stairs, and the
Morgan boys slept ia another room just
across the hall. When they were waken-
ed, they all started to 10 to the stairs In
the hall, but the opening or the doors
created draft, which caused the fire IN
the hallway to
BURN so FIERCELY
thst to escape that way seemed impossible.
John William Morgan, however, kept on
through the flames down to the stairs and
got out, terribly burned, but alive, by
jumping from window. The other three
fell victims to the flames and smoke in the
hall and were burned to death. In the
meantime, the Brantner house had taken
fire, and was rapidly consuming.
Willing hands went TO work with will,
but nothing could be done except save few
articles, and they were thrown out OF the
windows in such q way ss to smash them
up badly. Evan Davis, boarder at
Prosser's, threw bis trunk out Of the Sec
ond story window and
JUMPED HIMSELF.
He lit on his knees and cut ons of them 30
severely and in such manner that the
limb will always be stiffened.
MIR. Prosser was about thirty-three years
old, and was employed as mule driver in
the mines.
Brantner is aminer, aud worked at the
same place. His family got out alive, but
they lose their house-holdings All OF
Prosser's furniture was destroyed, besides
$50 in money which Mrs. Prosser had in
the house. Ebenezer Coss was struck on
the head by q window sash which some
one knocked out of the second story, and
was badly though not seriously cut. Several
others were slightly cut and bruised in the
excitement, but no one dangerously.
William Philpot, also boarder at Pros
ser's, was sitting ON the back porch when
the fire was FIRST discovered: He said TO q
REGISTER reporter
HIS STORY.
81 had returned from ball and sat
down on the back porch to take smoke.
A little before midnight, when l
was ready 10 retire, started
into the house and saw flames issuing
from the kitchen. l rushed in and
saw the fire coming from pantry near the
stove. l threw several buckets of water,
which were handy, but the more threw
on the more the fire spread, and / was
forced to run ont. | awakened the neigh
bors and we went to work to try to save
the family who were sleeping peacefully
in the midst of the flames. After that !
was 80 excited that did not know what
did. Mrs. Prosser and three of the chill
dren were sleeping in the lower story
and got out of the house in safety
William Prosser and Evan Morgan were in
the front of the house in the second story,
and Johnny Proaser apd Willie Morgan in
the back part of the house Evan Morgan
awakened up aud rushing to the window,
leaped to the ground, He was badly
burned about the arms and legs, but will
survive. The other three persons in the
second stary persisted in the flames, and
their bodies were burned and charred till
they lost all semblsnce TO human beings.
Morgan g mother is dead, and his father lived
in Alabama. The bodies we're given into the
charge of William d. Noble, q prominent
citizen. They vers buried this afternoon at
two o'clock ct this place. 1T wac supposed
Mr.. Proseer had awakened and gone into
the back room 10 erolse the boys as the
three bodies were found togstheE.h
INCENDIARY.
On Wednesday evening several persons
heard an individual, whose usme for pru'
Dental reasons ia withheld, assert that ne
would burn Prosser out. Heexpressed his
enmity towar, Prosser, and told why he
would commit the hellish crime. He had
been drinking at the time, and suspicion
points directly to him as the author OF the
fire. The officers and several citizens are
diligently searching for evidence, and in
all probability an arrest will be made to.
day or tomorrow. There il no doaSt that
the fire ia of incsndisry origin and that
some inflamable material was used to assist
the fire. The people sre very much In
censed over the occurrence and II suspi-
cions prove well grounded, n lynching bee
may be the result.
]. o. Jones, Superintendent Of the
mines, headed crowd of men and toseth-
or they worked like beavers to prevent the
spread OF flames. 1t is due to their efforts
that the entire row Of which the two
houses formed q part was not consumed.
Ernest Baker, Frank Bryant. ]. 0. Pedi'
cord, West Bennington, Frank Dins-
more and Rbenzsr Coss deserve special
mention for their bravery aud earnestness
in trying to save life snd property.