The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-01-11
HORROR AT OMAHA
Nebraska lnebriate Deliberately De-
stroys His House.
THE FIEND- UPSET A LAMP
and Father, Mother, Grandmother
and Babe DIE Togethor.

OMAHA, Neb., Jan. S.-G-adually the
details of the most horrifylng tragedy
that ever occurred on Nebraska soil are
coming to light as the coroner's inquest
Thousands of people have
gathered about the morgue out of NOR
bid curiosity to view the charred re-
mains of the victims, John Cummings
ard family. Cummings had been
in i'll health for some time, and,
according to 12-year-old Tommy Fox,
who was present, he deliberately set
fire TO his own house and caused the
death of his mother-in-law, his wife and
his l-year-old baby in the flames. The
little boy tells straightforward story,
and when asked how the fire originated
he said.
Cummings was sitting on the edge
OF the bed in a rear room, where Mrs.
Cummings also was with the baby. An
other person in the room was Mrs. Fox,
the mother of Mrs. Cummings, my aunt.
There was fuss about something, and
Cummings upset the lamp and closed
the door, compelling all the inmates to
stay there. They cried, but he refused
to let any Of them out"
Philip Nathan, next door neighbor,
says that when he first saw the flames
he noticed Mrs. Cummings trying to
open the shutters to the window of the
bedroom He Leard her cry out and
say: "My baby is already aire!" Soon
thereafter he saw the woman enveloped
in flames. Miss Nellie Fox, who is a
relative of Mrs. Cummings, said she
was frequent visitor TO the house
that Cummings had been sick for quite
a long time. She disputed her brothers
statement about Cummings having pur
posely knocked down the lamp to burr
the entire family, but the boy rejoinet
that he saw him do It. He also added
that when he first took notice he saw
Cummings sitting on the bed crying
The basement of the house was occu
pied by John Stuart, who has a contrac
for feeding the city Jail prisoners
Stuart and his assistant, Dennis Sexton
were in that part of the basement d
rectly beneath the room in which tn
bodies were found up to the time tn
re broke out. Sexton gave a vivi
description of the scuiiie in the roor
above Immediately before the fame
we're detected, and confirms in man
respects the story of the boy who wit
messed the dreadful tragedy.
"For several nights" remarked Sex
ton as he stood in the wreck of hi
quarters, few minutes after the fir
was extlnguished, "the folks in tn
room above have been carousinl
About midnight they would begin
quarrel and sometimes would 6gf
among themselves for an hour, an
quiet would be restored gradually a
if they were exhausted knew the
had great deal of whisky up ther
several nights. Sometimes both of th
men, Fox and Cummings, would
quarreling and fighting among then
selves, and then they would turn G
the women. The trouble that resulte
in the fire up there began early Satu
day night. | heard them sweai
ing up there all the evenin
The disturbance increased towar'
midnight, and frequently oaths we
heard.
; 81 distinguished the voice of boy,
woman and two men. Finally, son
, time about o'clock, terrible scuf
: commenced. From the noise ma
by the heavy shoes of the men as tn
pushed each other across the floor, a
from the manner in whi:n they ours
:. / knew they were having despera
G. fight. Suddenly there was thud ov
). in the little room to the north, in Viii
. the bodies were found, as If one of t
men had fallen. He did not attempt
rise, and heard the other man ia
n several steps, and then heard a won
a scream. She yelled my Godp a
s then gurgled as If being choked.
,s moment later another body fell on
\ floor. This was followed almost
Fl stantly by the crash of hea
glass, and l saw the flames break
through the small window In the ro
where the bodies were found. Fo
VS. few minutes a confusion of oaths
a screams were heard in the little roc
as and then all was still"
h The police are working on the
0, yet, but having developed nothing
ut dispute the evidence that Cummi
v, committed the crime while in fiji
IT. insane rage.
Old-Time Montana Miner Dying.