Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-05-17
ROASTED TO DEATH.
Ten Idiots Looked in Their Cells
are Cremated.
Burning of the Chenango County IN. Y.)
Poorhouse - The Tongue PoInto
Horror Repeated on n Smaller
Scale-An Old woman's Pipo
Caused tho Fire.

NORWICH, N. Y, May "a IRE at
midnight Wednesday in the Chenango
County poorhouse at Preston, a few
miles from this place, destroyed that in
stitution. Thirteen of the inmates lost
their lives. The fire started shortly be-
fore midnight in the insane ward of the
poorhouse and spread rapidly. All the
wards we're crowded with patients and a
scene of confusion and panic followed.
That no more lives were lost is miracu-
lous. The building and a large barn
were completely destroyed, together
with their contents. The losses will ag-
gregate $50, 900, on which there is an in
surance of $4,000.
Deborah Dibble was one of the Oldest
women in the idiot ward of the poor
house. All her life she has been an in
veterate smoker and clung with obsti-
nate tenacity to an old clay pipe which
wrs given to her about year ago. She
was smoking away at 11:30 o'clockWed-
nesday night when the night keeper
passed through the ward on a tour of in
spection. Every thing was all right and
old Deborah was the only person awake.
Half an hour later shrill scream was
heard and bright light shone out Of
the windows of the ward in the right
wing. When the keepers reached the
idiot ward they found old Deborah Dib-
BILE lying on the bare floor, wrapped in
flames, while the other poor idiots ran
to and fro, trying to escape the flames,
which were licking the bed clothing
and curling about the few bits of furni-
ture in the apartment.
So fierce was the heat and SO rapidly
had the fire spread that the keepers
were compelled to retreat to save them
selves. A few of the idiots, babbling
and jabbering, ran with the keepers,
who cried the alarm as they went All
around are farmhouses, and messengers
were sent for help. Lunatics were re-
leased from the different wards as soon
as possible. Altogether there were
about twenty and it was feared that If
they mingled with the more tractable
patients there would be general stam-
pede. The majority of the violent ones,
however, made directly for the woods
and for hours afterward they could be
heard screaming and yelling in the ad-
jacent forest.
Attention was given to the saving OF
life and the nurses and keepers worked
with will to get the poor wretches out
In their wild efforts to escape, some Of
the patients were badly burned. Those
in the poor wards were all saved with
out trouble, as that portion of the build
ing was further removed from the wing
where the fire started. About two
o'clock the building began to crumble
and succumb to the fury of the fire. 1t
was an awful night for the nurses and
attendants. They hardly knew what to
do or which way to turn until finally
some farmers offered their houses and
barns as place of refuge for the imbe-
Giles. The doors of the two little
churches were thrown wide open and
temporary hospital quarters arranged.
Some of the patients were SO badly
burned that they fe II to the ground as
soon as they reached place of safety.
There is still considerable number of
violent patients in the woods Most of
those who escaped had been kept in the
closest confinement on account of the
peculiar nature of their maladies, and
1t is not at all safe for them to be at
large. The posse of the sheriff is scour-
ing the entire country in search of the
fugitives. Two of the seven who were
captured were found five miles away
and resisted vigorously before they al
lowed themselves to be retaken.