The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-09
Twelve Female Idiots Roasted
Alive at Preston, n. Y.
LOCKED IN FOR THE NIGHT
The Stencil Of Burning Human Flesh
Sickens the Beholders.
Charity Buildings Of Chenanso County
Destroyed = None Of the Feeble
Minded Inmates Escape Fragments
Of the Dsad Shoveled Up.

UrIcA. y. r. AAy S-The larger portion OF
the Chenango coanfy buildings located az
Preston. near Norwich. were barned at mid
night last night. and ten inmates. possibly
more, we're oarned. The buildings destroyed
were the asylum. in which were about teigh'y
inmates. and the paupcr house and idiot ward.
In whica were iofty inmates Both were three
story wooden buildings in good repair, having
wings OF two orses in hesht Tney were val
ued at 1885 %. insured for sls,oeo and are total
loss.
The horrible part OF the disaster vas the barn
Ing ct tn idicsa who were penned in their cells
an1 roasted alive The origin OF the hre was
rrabxbiy from smouiderinx sparks OF slight
IRE which occurred Wednesday afternoon.
Deborah Dibble. feeaIe- minded old woman.
while smoking pipe set her clothing and bed.
ding en- fire and was burned fatally before
the flames could be exlinguished 1.
Is supposed tsc fire started from some und!s-
awakened by the paupers. aud attempted TO
release the Idiots, but Was driven back BY tie
fire. He ran through the other buildings in his
night clothes. rescuing the inmates Some OF
the insane had 20 be forced out. ana fought
sgainst bsing released Most Of them were
taken TO the Methodist and Universalist
churches TIL other qusrters were provided.
some escaped and took to the woods, where the
sheriff and deraiies are hunting for them today.
The names at the nine idiots who were hurasd
are; Sarah Mills. earah Gallagher. Auvilia Al
wood, Sarah Bailey. Laura Gray. Dchoraa
n.bble. McDaniels, AMANDA Rlsfon, Adel1
Bercdic;. Lucy Wsr-en.
Keeper Ms.nwairing scued several at the
peril of his life The scene at the burning build
iugs was Undesirable. The horrors of Tongue
Psinfe were re-enacted on . smad scale. The
demensed and terror-strickeG inmates wandered
around the burning piles III hope ess manner.
The great wooden buildings lit up the hills for
miles around. A bucket brigade was termed
and tried to sare some Of the SMALLER tuiidings
in the rear. with success.
NORWICH. n. Y. May s--The excitement over
the destruction OF the poorhouse and county
Insane asylum ths morning is intense. All
who had friends among the anfortunates
eagerly sought information OF their fate. Pres
ton is six miles from any railroad, and pro-
cession OF all sorts Of vehicles has been going
there all day. The smoke and stencil from the
holocaust is rerseptibe here. Az the scene OF
the dissster the stencil is sickening. Tie idiots
were locked In and roasted like beasia
Keeper Mainwairiug said. "On opening
the door leading from the hall to
the idiot department ! was thundcrStruck
to zee the interior . mass OF nameA l at
tempted to rescue the inmates, who were all
securely shut In thsir cells - usual, but was
driven back by the heat and smoke. l saw that
the idiots were doomed and that nothing could
save them. shea.s annnsad sho peupera In
some instances the poor people were dazed. ana
was compelled to carry them bodily from the
house and turn them loose In the yard and
fields. There were twelve inmates In the idiot
asylum. and they must have been overcome by
the heat. for l heard nothing from them snd
they were roasted like pigs"
Coroner Fernold. OF this pace, went to Pres
ton and ordered the removal Of the charred and
blackened remains In the ruins Buckets Of
water were dashed upon them. and q. length
the roasted trunks were pulled out and laid
upon the grass All were burned beyond rtcog-
nitiop. In some instances the remains were re-
moved with shoyeas. nothing but few bones
giving indications that they we're once human
beluR9