The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-07-18
Serious Charges Made Against Fire
Chief Murphy In the Cold
Storage Fire.
Said That He Was Repeatedly Warned
of the Danger Of Sending Men
ON the Tower.
Employees Knew the Fire Was Below
the Men and So Informed
the Chief.

CHICAGO, July IL. John b. Skinner,
president of the Hercules iron works,
the company owning the cold storage
building burned, lays the blame for the
terrible loss of life upon Assistant Fire
Marshal Murphy. He insists that .
blunder was made in the face OF re.
peated warnings from employees in the
building. Captain Fitzpatrick was with
Marshal Murphy. The men, Mr.. Skin.
ner declares, would not listen to the ad-
monitions of the men who knew the
structure and the danger OF ascent to
the tower.
There 10 one side of this fire case
that has not yet been told" said Mr..
Skinner. 81 suppose 1t will all come
ont before the coroner ii the case is
gone fully into and the coroner keeps
his promise that he will go to the bot.
tom of the affair.""
Was All q Blunder.
"There was absolutely no excuse for
the loss of single life. The firemen
were informed by our employees that
there was fire below before they went
up into the tower. They were begged
not to go up and the danger was pointed
ont in advance, when there was plenty
of time to order down such as were al
ready up 49,,
and who is ready to testify to the fact
is Walter NJ Donaldson, the Office man
ager of the business in the storage and
ice department. He went into the
tower and informed himself of the
state of the fire before the firemen ar
rived. Donaldson has been present
during nearly the whole time of the ex-
position, was familiar with the building,
and he offered to act asa guide to the
ERE fighters.
Didn't Need Advice.
"He could not have been mistaken for
an outsider. As soon as the firenen
arrived he hunted mp Captain Fits
patrick and found him on the rink
floor with his men, some of whom were
armed with axes. He asked the cap
tain to chop hole below and turn the
hose on the fire in the lower part of the
tower. He emphasized and repeated
his statement that the bottom was the
place to fight the fire. As to these
directions and entreaties Captain Fitx-
patrick answered: You go to ; /
am running this thing
He was trying at the time to carry
three loads of hose mp at once, and was
not making headway. Notwithstanding
his rebuff, Donaldson, appreciating the
situation, begged him to get one up
Captain Fitzpatrick answered he would
get the three up or none.
Knocked This One Down.
"a. j. Branch, who is one of our
men," continued Mr.. Skinner, in re-
sponse to request for the names of the
other witnesses, ''asked Captain Fitz-
patrick to work on the base of the
tower and fight the fire which was al
ready there. The captain, for an
answer, fetched backhanded blow
with the fat of his hand which knocked
him 8 or 10 feet.
Mr.. Alsip, the architect, was one who
also advised the men of the danger, and
told them the FIRE was below before
they Went up, and begged them not to
ascend
Drove His Men to Death.
Marshal Murphy stood there in spite
\ OF this information and actually drove
his men to their deaths. Upon the in
formation we had given them. some Q
the fremen hesitated and demurred.
The marshal was heard TO SHOUT to
them by at least two Of our people:
"Get up, You d-d cowards."
He drove them to their deaths.
There is no question about it. We are
prepared to prove it, and 1T must all
come ont at the inquest. As soon as
heard the statement of our men, right
after the fire, weht Immediately over
TO Mr.. Higinbotham's Office and told
him what i state here"
Car OF Cattle ON Fire.
nr rxpryr Mrr Tel. ut~.1S /.