Morning journal and courier., 1893-02-14
THE wAToHMAN,s STORY.
Continuation of the Coroner,s Inves- tisation Into the Cause of the Insane Aavlum Horror.


 Continuation of the Coroner's Inves- Asylum Horror.
 ed hearing in the ooroner's inquest into the
 cause of the insane asylum holocaust this
 morning Wilbur s. .Chesley, the watchman,
 resumed his testimony. He made six trips
 a night, one each hour from till 12,, then
 one at 1:35 and the last at 2:30; his duties
 ended at a. m. The first key was in the
 office, the next in the women's department
 in the lower corridor, the next in the up-
 per corridor and a fourth at the asylum.
 To get the key in the asylum witness had
 to go to the second story. The key was on
 the attic stairs. On the night of the fire
 witness saw no one until he got into the
 asylum and saw nothing out of the way;
 the lights which burned all night, two in
 each corridor, were all right; heard Mrs.
 La Fountaine shouting; she was looking
 out over the top of the door. Mrs. Rob- erts was also awake; don't know whether Ruth Sanborn was awake or not. Wit ness described his movements until his 10 o'clock trip. When he entered the asylum on this round he saw 6 light in the French woman's cell; there was some smoke in the corridor. but no blaze; ran to Keeper Driscoll's sleeping room; heard sev- sral of the inmates shouting; Drisoou got up at once and unlocked the cell door; Driscon told witness to unlock the main door and let the inmates out; saw the La Fontaine woman come out and jump on Driscolrs back; witness was then unlock ing the outside door; when witness left the building the woman was still on Driscoll's back; there was great deal of smoke there then and lots of noise; witness didn't know where the water psils were; never saw any there; witness then called the super intendent and all the other men who could bs of any help; then to the asylum, which was then enveloEed in flames, and no one could en- ter; this was probably ten minutes after he left the building. Ladders were brought and Ruth Sanborn taken from @ second story window; the building was then pretty much all aire on the inside; witness saw others at the windows; we then turned our attention to the main almshouse build ing; getting water from the tank in the attic. Recess.
 Mrs. La Fountaine's clothing was on fire when she came out of her cell; witness did not help to put it out, and said he did not know whether the door locked itself or not when he came out of the building The door has spring look on the out side
 Witness was so excited that he did not stop to help take the woman off Driscoll's pack; didn't know why he didn't help Driscoll; didn't know there was any hose n that building. In half an hour from he time he discovered the fire the build ng was flat; after the fire was all out he | Jaw MT. Driscoll; no words were passed. | Witness said he was never instructed in | 'egard to the hose or water pails; no one | old him about the hose or pails in that | but Superintendent DeMerritt | lad told him about those in the almshouse | building
 This afternoon @ number of witnesses l estifed. County Physician Newcombe ave his opinion that the inmates on the | Ipper floor died from suffocation rather han from burns. He, as well as other gave Keeper Driscoll good rep Itation and testified that the place was al- | Vays kept as neat and clean as it was pos ible for such a place to be kept. One Vitnsss testified that when he cleaned out | he debris in the cellar he found every look nlooked and the bolts slid back, showing hat all the cells must have been unfast- | ned.
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