Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-26
Death Comes in Another Way.

save MIN lrOu freezing 10 ueabu. ne llt
the gas in the stove and soon had q hot fire
going.
Death Comes in Another Way.
The cell Purdy was placed in was oppo-
site the stove. Barrett goes of duty at 8
o'clock in the morning. He visited the
Jail last at midnight. The prisoner was
then sound asleep. Leaving the gas burn
ing brightly, the officer started on his rounds
and at the usual time went home. A very
few minutes after o'clock an engineer
bringing his train into the city saw the
lookup was on fire and commenced blowing
his whistle. The people at the air-brake
works heard the noise, and, discovering the
cause, started their whistle going. This
brought few people out.
Among the first people to get to the fire
was Constable c. A. Steugben. The build
ing was then in flames. Another man who
was there said there was no one inside, but
Steugben insisted there was, for he knew
the fires were never lighted unless there
was prisoner in the lookup. He secured
a pick-ax and broke the wall on the east
side of the building When he had knocked
off board he saw the inside was all in
flames.
Barrett Makes an Awful Announcement.
At this time Barrett came up badly
scared and announced there was prisone er
in the cell next to the stove. All efforts
were then directed to save the man, but it
was impossible and the building burned to
the ground. When the flames had died
away, the charred remains were found.
Purdv was lying with his face downward.
The head, arms and legs were burned off
and the trunk was burned to a crisp. Purdy
had been SO drunk when he was arrested
that he cou Id not tell his name, and the
officer did not know him. He is not a
very we'll known man in Wilmerding and
from Barrett's description no one knew who
the prisoner was Several people were re-
ported missing around town, and anxious
friends hurried to the place to see If it were
their son or husband. The only wearing
apparel not burned was piece of scarf
the man had wound around his neck. As
the prisoner was lying lace downward in
the cell this muf1er was not burned. Those
looking for missing ones examined this
closely but could not identify it.
Identified by Muffler.
About 11:3O Samuel Purdv came into
town, and as a sight-seer was drawn to the
scene. The moment his eve fell on the
remnant of the scarf he exclaimed, ''That
is my brother Johns, mother knit it for
him in England" He also identified his
brother in some other ways The poor man
was nearly Frustrated by grief, and it was
some time before he recovered sufficiently
to talk. He then said his brother had lie #
home about 6 o'clock and had not been
there since. The dead man was about 80
years of age, and single. His father was
colonel in the English service before he
died.
The remains were brought to the morgue
last night. His brother called there to see
them. He was again badly affected, crying
like child. Mr.. Purdy says he will see
who was responsible for the fire, and if the
death was due to negligence he will sue for
damages. The fire is supposed to have been
caused by the pipe bursting. The pipe is
exposed iior about 40 feet. and one theory is
that it expanded, breaking off near the
stove.