Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-04
DIED IN THEIR STALLS.
Two Valuable Horses Smothered in .
Midnight Fire.

Two Valuable Horses Smothered in .
Midnight Fire.
A serious fire occurred last night
about 1890 O'Clock. The barn in the
rear Of No. 800 Canal street, in which
Tom Lynch has been keeping his fact
horses, Sheeney and LOttie B., caught
Lottie B., valued at $500, was suifocated
to death In moment. Sbeeney was so
badly choked that there is no possible
chance for him to live.
At midnight the inmates of the
house were startled by man rapping
on the front door and shouting fire.
One of the girPs rushed to the front
door, when the man who had given the
alarm jumped astride of bicycle, rode
to box IA, corner of Kent and New
berry streets, and turned IN the alarm.
At the same instant another alarm was
sent IN by way of the District Telegraph
messenger service.
Mate Morrison, the pfoprietress. who
claims to he Lynch's wife, was in bed.
She arose in her night clothes, and.
without waiting to don her dress, rushed
down stairs. BY this time il had been
learned that the barn was abiaze. She
ran to the barn. the door of which was
open, and the smoke And flame was
pour ng out. Through it she plunged
and into the stall where Lottie B. was
fastened and tried to unite her. The
fire was spreading rapidly. Vainly
she struggled, but could not loosen
the knot which held the animal.
At last despairing, she gave up and
grooped her way toward the door.
When she gained the outside she found
that both hands had been badly burned,
and her hair, eyebrows and eyelsshes
were singed.
The fire department arrived upon
the scene aid learning that the horses
were i'm the harm then movements
were quickened. In q few seconds
several streams were playing
upon the burning macs and the
flremen began cutting with axes on
every SIDE. 1t was ten minutes be-
fore the blaze was quenched. Invest,-
CATION disclosed that Lottie Il was
dead. Tne mare WAS not scorched very
mucn, but had succumbed to tho
smoke. In the next stall Sheeney was
vet kicking, lying fiat OH lis aide. Men
worked over him for an hour, and at
last reports were confident that he
would have TO be shot.
From the first moment that the fire
was discovered the horses began to
kick. struggle for freedom and wninny
piilfuIiy. then groans sounding like the
walls OF tortured human beings. At
the present time the origin OF the fire
10 Inystcry. Frank Saunders, some
said, and others Frank Flynn, vas the
hostler ADD had charge Of the animals.
Mate Morrison said that when she
opened the door the lire was in the CEN
ter OF the harm. She gave IL as Ter opin-
ion that Frank Was IN the barn and
that he too had been killed.
She said that sometimes when he
was drunk he came around
the barn, and il might be that he set it
afire. No trace of hun WAS found.
Sheenay was valued At 81, 900 and had a
record OF 2.2at which he made at Spring
field, iii. Lottie II. had no record, but
was promising colt. The sidewalk in
front oil the house. as we'll as the
hallway inside was f,lled with trunks,
while the half clsi inmates decked the
sidewalk. There were also IN the barn
two carriages, one cutter. three sets of
harness. valuable robes, etc. The total
loss Is placed at 5000 with no in-
surance. Tom Lynch il in New
Orleans.