The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-10-05
MRS. STRUTS SAD STORY.


mig from Duluth Mrs. Chas. Strum, on
LILO p. m. Omaha train accompanied
by her two little white haired chill
dren, aged nine months and two
years and four months. This is the
family which the citizens of Manka-
to, acting through the local relief
committee, have cheerfully taken it
upon themselves to give home. 1t
is one of the hundreds of families
from the fire stricken district which
have been or will be distributed
among the different communities of
the state, in order that the burden
upon any one may be as light as pos
sible. Mrs. Strum was taken to the
Stahl House and given temporary &C
cOmmodatiOnS.
A FREE PRESS reporter called upon
the unfortunate woman this morning,
and found that she was unable to
speak word of English. Through
the courtesy of Thomas Olson, one of
the gentlemanly clerks in. the Manka-
to Mercantile Co.'S store, he was enabl-
ed to secure an interview with her.
Her story in substance is as follows:
''My husband came to this country
from Sweden twelve years ago, but
went back to the old country four
years ago. There we were married
and three years ago we came over.
He was handwriting man, faithful,
temperate and a kind husband and
father. He worked in the mill at
at Hinckly, Mimi, and from his wages
was able to save enough to build
house. On the day of the ireihe was
busy with other men trying to put
out the fires that threatened the lum-
Der yard. When the smoke got SO
dense that it was seen that the dan
ger was great, wagon came along
loaded with people, making for the
train that was loading up with peo-
pie leaving town. My husband said
that it would be safer for me to 60
along with them and put mesand the
two children in the wagon. He stay
ed to fight the fire and that was the
last / saw of him. The wagon was
driven towards the train, but soon
great sheets of flame seemed to come
upon us from every direction. The
horses were unable to proceed and
with many of the others [ got off the
wagon, and taking one of my children
under each arm [ ran half a mile
through the smoke and fire to train.
One old lady and a child were burned
at the wagon. l escaped without in
jury, but the youngest child was
burned about the legs.
''Soon after 1 got on the train it
pulled out, with Engineer Root at the
throttle, and a race for life began.
How the train caught fire, the win
doWs broke from the heat and people
jumped from the train to certain
papers and it is unnecessary to re-
peat it. The train stopped at the
slough called Skunk lake, and we all
crawled into the water and by duck
ing down when the flames swept over
US we were saved. | was taken to
Duluth and have remained there ever
since, until receiving letter that l
would be cared for by the kind people
of Mankato
81 thought at first that my hus-
band had been saved, and heard
that he was in the hospital at Pine
City, but I afterwards learned that
he was not. 1 still thought that he
might have been saved, until one day
three weeks after the fire | learned
for certainty that he was among the
dead. His remains were never found.
Everything that we had burned up.
The only relative have lin America
is an uncle and / do not know where
he lives"
Mrs. Strum is tWentyseven years
old and is a pleasant and intelligent
appearing woman. Mrs. Stahl is
much pleased with her, and states
that she is unusually neat and
of an excellent disposition.
The committee of citizens will
care for her until she can become self
supporting. Any household articles
or clothing that anyone desires to
give her will be kindly received by
the committee.
Mr.. E. G. Burdick and DR.. Snow
have put down nice sawed stone
stone walk in front Of their Broad
street residences. These are the
kind of improvements which are
permanent as we'll as identifying to
property.
"A team belonging to Mr.. Evans
residing on Pigeon hill, took fright
Friday on South Front treet and
ran down Minnesota street oyerturn-
ing the wagon which was loaded with
shingles. No further damage was
done than broken wheel.