The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-11
MATCHES IN THEIR CELLS
No Wonder the Insane Asylum Near Do.
yer, N. H., Was Destroyed by Fire.
Some of the Lunatics We're Users Of Tobacco,
and We're Permitted to Smoke When
Locked Up-The Dead Bodies.

DOVER, n. H., Feb. 10.-Coroner John S.
Daniels. of Rochester, Is investigating the
burning of the forty-four 1unatics who Dor
ished in the county insane asylum last
night. 1t is now pretty well established
that Mrs. Lafountaine started the fire that
destroyed the building. A possible clew to
the origin of the fire may be found in the
fact that some of the insane paupers
were habitual users of tobacco and
were allowed three friction matches each
to take to their cells with which to light
their pipes. This system. it is said, was
brought to the notice of the county author
tiles few days since upon their visit to the
county farm, aud the advice of one of the
members was that it should be stopped,
but whether this advice was acted upon Is
not known. Keeper Driscoll. however, is of
the opinion that the fire caught fr0u a de.
fective chimney. the sides of the latter
being only the thickness of one brick.
Tonight In the chapel OF the county
farm building lie what can be found of
thirty -four fearfully burned ana charTed
bodies. The others who were known to
have perished in the flames last nighb hR ye
not yet been found, for the cellar is full of
water and the debris has not set been re-
moved.
Watchman Wilbur Cheslev to-day made
the following statement regarding the
holocaust: "When | was making my 10
o'clock round l smelled smoke and saw a
light in cell occupied by Mrs. La
FOuntaine opened the door and saw
foot of her bed. pulled her ont of the
roum and closed the door. 1 called Dris-
coll. the keeper. and his wife. He
helped mo break the locks of the
s"rg sSS5s to Sna al ase shs says sns
Fountane woman and Frank Daucheame
go out into the yard. The tire ran rapidly
through the building as If it was satur-
ated with oil. There was no way of getting
tho insane people out Ihad to run through
& sheet of flame to get to the outside door.
/ gave q general alarm all through the big
almsnouse. but could do nothing to save
the asy lum."
Keeper Drscoll said he lived in the build
ing with his wife and two children. He
was called by the watchman and ran out
in his night clothes and did all he possibly
could to get the inmates out. He then
went back to mis- room and found it locked
His hands were badly burned. He had
TO break out double window from
and children. He says: All
that any of us had on was our
night clothes. We lost every thing we had
There were forty-six inmates in the cells.
ODly three escaped. carpenters naQ Deen
dong some work there but it is not known
that the La Fountaine woman got any of
the shavings She made her way by some
means to the yard. as It was surrounded by
a high closed fence she could not get
out, and was roasted alive. Daucbeame
also got out there but he managed to climb
the fence aud was saved"
The esuperintendento of the farm and aims
house. Mr.. Charles Demerritt. says: Il
was awakened by the watchman. There
were ninety of the county poor in the big
slmshouse. Forty Of them were women. in
the wing next TO the asylum. l got them
who could do anything to assist In saving
the building. We had pals to carry water
and they all did the best they could, and
saved the main brick building"