Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-05-10
a NEBRASKA HORROR.
Seven Persons Burned in a Barn-Either a
Terrible Crime or an Inexplicable Acci-
dent.

Seven Persons Burned in a Barn-Either r.
Terrible Crime an Inexplicable Acci-
dent.
ARLINGTON. Neb.. May 5 "A large barn on
the farm OF Mrs. Freese, living about mile
| from here, burned between six and eight
o'clock yesterday morning and the dead
bodies Of Mrs. Freese, Fred Grateluschec,
his wife aud three children, and his brother
Louis, were found among the ruins. So
far 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 seen
rising from the Freese farm, but as old
straw and haystacks were being burned
quite extensively in the surrounding coun-
try, no attention was paid TO it at first.
After the fire had burned for some time,
however, the color of the smoke changed
from grayish shade, such as CONS from
burning hay or straw, TO a dark blue, and
large sparks were carried 10 town and fell
in the streets, aud these were found 10 be
charred wood. There was now no room
for doubt that either the Freese dwelling,
the barn or some of the outhouses on the
place were burning and loading a wagon
with buckets, axes and ladders number
of citizens FASTENED toward the farm.
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 at
tempt to save IL, the south end of the
building, large two story structure, hay
ing already fallen in and the rest Of II
falling shortly before the men arrived.
When the men reached the fire neither
Fred Grateluschen, 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
very great hurry. Tnis fact seemed 10
destroy the force OF a suggestion of some
or the men, that the family might have
gone to some neighboring farm house the
night before aud not yet returned.
All doubt as to this supposit:on was soon
set at rest, however, by horrIs.e discoy-
cry made by one OF the men. While stir
ring. the debris in the south end Of the
barn with a rake he caught one Of the
teeth in mans boot and gave II a hard
pull, when to his horror he dragged out
the dead body of man, all the clothing
burned of and only shred of blackened
flesh clingIng TO 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
and three children and his brother LOUIS,
lived with Mrs. Freese, who was widow,
and managed the farm for her.
After the discovery of Fred Gra:euschen
ali the men got rakes, hoes, poles and
whatever else they could find and con-
tiuued the search. They were soon re-
warded by finding the boiles of Mrs. Crate
luschen, her three children, Louis Grateful
schen and the cid lady Freese. Both
women seem to have been only partly
dressed. Nearly all the flesh was burned
of the bodies.
4 farm hand who had been employed on
the place was nowhere to be found. and,
after a thorough search had been made 1t
was thought hardly possible that his ooiy
could have been among the ruins.
One theory is that the fire having been
discovered too late to save the barn the
whole family went inside to get out 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 suffocated.