Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-04
A CRUEL FATE.
Two Children Perish in a Farm
House.
Shocking FATALITY IN RURAL.

SHOCKING FATALITY IN RURAL.
Nssss~ asa Sassse Cssp-e u,,..a
'se's o'a-ssrsses A~ssss .. a.
rere - rhssr s,ep-FA,Aer-A W.~..
ssS Hshy Rsvss Nsrrsw Es~spe-n...
ssre'e . - sAe Csssssrsspse.
Two little girls. Nellie and Sadie
Cooper. aged respectively 3 and a
years. we're burned to death in little
farm house in Rural township. nine
miles from here. NJ an early hour this
morning. The children were STEM
children Of George Cooper. who with
his wife. their mother. and nm in.
FAINT. one week old. were occupying
the cottage. The house had but three
rooms. and the sleeping room occu-
pied by the entire family. adioined
the kitchen. Mr.. Cooper told an Ar
Gus reporter. who visited the scene
this morning. that he was awakened
about midnight by what he thought
was scream on the part of his wife.
and. sPringing from his bid. found
the petition separating the kitchen
ablaxe. He tirst grabbed bucket of
water and attempted to put out the
fire. but finding this fruitles., he
seized his wife. who was sick in bed,
and taking the baby in his arms, he
rushed from the house. aud hurryiur
to the ne srest farm house. that of a
man named Griffith. which is q half
= mile away. he left his wife and
child there. and then went hack to
rescue the girls.
now the Girls P-rsahesi.
When he returned the house was in
aames. and he was unable to gain an
entrance. He says he tried to break
a window with a pole. but was driv-
en- back by the fire. The house was
RACED to the ground. and the bodies
OF the little uaf0rtunates were burned
to crisp. scarcely recognizable ~
human beings. Mrs. Cooper was
slightly burned, but no: seriously,
while being taken from the house.
and Mr.. Coopcr's hair and whiskers
we're singed.
APscsl,ar Mas.
Although Mr.. COoper's wife was
seriously i'll, it will naturally strike
most people IS exceedingly strange
on his part that he should not. after
removing her and the infant frsm the
building secured = place of safety
for them. and sought to save the
little girls before going the
distance he did. Indeed, the
Argus representative who attempt
to converse with him this morning.
found him . very peculiar man. He
appeared not only indifferent. but
most aggravatingly stupid. When
asked as to the right name Of the
children. he said he did not know:
that he had adopted them year ago,
and that they had borne his name
since. He did not even know, or
care to know. his wife's name before
he married her. Il met her in Du-
buque = year ago and married her. -
he said. ..She used to live in Daven-
port, but I don't know what her
L
had these children and I adopted
them"
Had Lived ID Rurai = Month.
Cooper and his family had lived in
Rural township about month. They
| appeared 10 ne distressingly poor.
On his arrival in the township Coop
er applied to William COyne for
work. The latter gave him employ
ment and the occupancy Of the story
and-a-half cottage on his farm in
| which he has lived since.
Mrs. Cooper and child were taken
to the county farm this morning. and
this afternoon Deputy Coroner Eek
hart is conducting the inquest. To
an Argus reporter he said he pro-
posed 90 make the examination
rigid and thorough rs to all the cir
cumstances surrounding the fire and