The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-01
FOUR PEOPLE BURNED TO
DEATH AT OMAHA.
JOHN CUMMINGg AWFUL CRIME.
In Fit OF Insane Rage He Delibsr-
atsly Upsets Lamp, Fires His
House and Himse5. His Wife,
Baby aud GRANDDAUGHTER Are
Cremaesd-A 12- Year Old
10y the Only Witness

OMAHA, Neb.. Jan. 1--On marble
slabs at the city morgue lie the
charred remains Of the family Of John
Cummings Father, mother, baby
and grand mother are there. awaiting
the outcome of the coroner's inquiry
into the causes Of the tragedy that
startled the city yesterday morning.
Nothing in Nebraska annals APP
proaches the deed for horror
Cummings had been in i'll health for
some time. and according to 12-y ear-old
Tommie Fox, who was present, he de-
1iberately set fire 10 his own house and
caused the death of his mother-in-layv.
his wife and his 1-year-old baby in
the flames The little boy tells q
straig htforward story, and when
asked how the fire originated. he
said
Cummings was sitting OH the edge
OF the bed i'm the rear room where
Mrs Cummings also was with the
baby Another person in the room
was Mrs Fox, the mother of Mrs
Cummings, my aunt There was a
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 p"
Miss Nellie Fox, who is a relative Of
Mrs. Cum mings. said that she was a
frequent visitor to the house that
Cummings had been sick for a long
time. She disputed her brothers
statement about Cummings having
purposely knocked down the lamp to
burn the entire family, but the boy re-
joined chat he saw him do il. He
added that when he first took notice
he saw Cummings sitting on the bed
crying
The basement of the house is occu-
pied by John Stuart, who has con-
tract for feeding the city jail pris-
oners. Stuart and his assistant, Den
mis- Sexton, were IN that part OF the
basement directly beneath the room
in which the bodies were found up to
the time the fire broke out, Sexton
gave a vivid description OF the scuf1e
in the rooms above Immediately be
fore the flames were detected, and
confirms, in many respects, the story
of the boy who Witnessed the dread
full tragedy.
s.The trouble that result ted IN the
the fire UP there began early Saturday
night" said MIR. Sexton. II heard
them swearing UP there all the even
ing The disturbance increased to-
ward midnight and frequent Oaths
were heard. distinguished the
voice OF boy. a woman and two men,
Finally about o'clock terrible
scufHe commenced From the noise
made by the heavy shoes of the men
as they pushed each other across the
floor. and from the manner in which
they cursed I knew they were having
a desperate fight
suddenly there was a thud over in
the little room to the north. in which
the bodies were found as if one of the
men had fallen He did not attempt
to rise, and 1 heard the other man
take several steps and then heard
woman scream. She yelled. My Godr
and then gurgled as If being chokesi-
"a moment later another body fell on
the floor. This was followed almost
Instantly BY the crash of heAvv glass,
and / saw the aames break out
through the small window ia the room
where the bodies were found. For q
few minutes a confusion Of oaths.
screams. and then all was still "