The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-05-11
a NEBRASKA HORROR.
Seven Persons Burned In n Barn-Either a
Terrible Crime or an 1mexplicable Acct.


Seven Persons Burned In n Barn-Either a
Terrible Crime or an Inexplicable Acct.
dent.
ARLINGTON. Neb. May 5-A large barn on
the farm of Mrs. Freese, living about a mile
| from here, burned between six and eight
O'Clock yesterday morning and the dead
| bodies of Mrs. Freese. Fred Grateluschen.
his wife and three children, and his brother
Louis, were found among the ruins. So
Tar as known there is no person now living
who was present when these seven human
beings lost their lives.
Shortly after six O'clock smoke was see 1
rising from the Freese fur,l, but as old
straw ana haystacks Were being burned
quite extensively in the surrounding coan-
try, no attention was pad to II at first.
After the tire had burned for some time,
however, the color of the smoke changed
from grayish shade, such as CONS from
burning hay or straw, 10 DARK blue. and
large sparks were carried to town and fell
in the streets, and these were found TO be
charred wood. There was now no room
for doubt that either the Freese dwelling.
the barn OR some Of the Outhogses on the
place were burning. and leading wagon
with buckets, aSns and aGders IA number
of citizens fastened toward the farm.
When within short distance of the
place which was partially hidden from the
view of one looking from Arlington, the
rescuers saw that the barn was burning
but so far gone that it was useless to az
tempt to save it. the south end of the
building, a large two story structure, hav-
ing already fallen in and the rest Of u
falling shortly before the men arrived.
When the men reached the fire neither
Fred Grateiuschen, the hired man. nor
any one OF the family WAS in sight. Two
men went to the house and found all the
doors wide open and every thing IN dis
order, as If the occupants had left in u
very great hurry. THIS fact seemed to
destroy the force OF IA suggestion of some
OF the men, that the fam ly might lave
gone to some neighborIng farm hcuse the
night before and not yet returned.
ALI doubt as to this suppOsit on was soon
set at rest. however, by IA horrik.e dscov-
cry mad. by one Of the men. While STIR
ring the debris in the south end OF the
barn with a rake h. caught one of the
teeth in O mans boot and gave 1t IA hard
pull, when to his horror he dragged out
the dead body of = man. all the clothing
burned Off and only a shred of blacllened
flesh ciinglng 10 the skeleton here and
there.
From the size of the remains, however.
they were recognized as those of Fred
Grateluschen. who, together with his wife
ana three children anu his brother LOUIS.
lived with Mrs. Freese. who was widow,
and managed the farm for her.
After the discovery OF Fred Grateiuschen
all the men got rakes. hoes. rcles and
whatever csc they could find and con-
tiuued the search. They were seoa re-
warded by finding the bodies of ilrs. Crate
luschen, ner three children. Louis Gratrlu
schen and the cid lady Freese. Both
women seem to have been only partly
dressed. Nearly all the flesh was burned
off the bodies.
A farm hand who had been employed on
the place was nowhere to be found. and.
after a thorough search had been made, it
was thought hardly possible that his boiy
could have been among the ruins.
One theory is that the fire having been
discovered tco late 10 save the barn the
whole family went inside to get OFT the
cows and horses. Of which there were some
fifteen or twenty, and having some trouble
in getting them out, stayed too long and
were sufucated.