Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-02-01
A Shocking Tragedy by Fire at the
Olson Place Near Ster-
ling Yesterday.
Peter Olson, His Wife, Three Child
rem and a Hired Hand Meet
Death in Flames.
C%OrOner's Jury and Officials Depart
for the Scene to Make an
investigation.
From thursdays Daily.1
Six Lives Lost.

From thursdays Daily.
Six Lives Lost.
A shocking tragedy occurred at the
home of Peter Olson, about a mile south
Of Sterling, at 6 o'clock yesterday morn
ing. At that hour, the attention of those
of the residents of Sterling who we're up
and about was attracted to a bright
light, as of a burning house or haystack,
in the southeast. It continued for per-
haps an hour or more, until finally it's
b r~illiancy decreased, and nothing more
of it was seen except an occasional ftful
flash, as of some dying embers. An in
vestigation of the scene, later, by the
neighbors and residents of the town, dis
closed a shocking sight. The farm
house of Peter Olson, one Of the best
known residents of the locality, and who
is also we'll known in and about this
city. was discovered to have been burned
to the ground, and, from all appearances,
Olson, his wife and three small children
had persisted in the flames.
Atabout 9o'clock yesterday morning,a
message was received by Henry Tatley,
stating the bare facts of the accident
chat the Olson place had been consumed
and that all five of the members of the
fam lily had perished-and requesting
chat the coroner and officials be notified
TO come to the scene of the tragedy. The
ne WIS spread rapidly through the city,
md was the all %engrossing topic of con-
ve rsation throughout the day by those
Who were acquainted with the family,
viii oh number includes nearly all of the
esidents of the city.
Coroner Webb, Sheriff Taylor and
other officials we're at once notified and
made preparations to leave for the scene
# the accident and hold an inquest.
Upon the afternoon train there departed
or Sterling the coroner, Sheriff Taylor,
b. -Sheriff Donnelly, States Attorney
Allen, W. B. Livermore and Louis Lar
sop, to look over the scene and deter
nine insofar as possible the cause of the
accident.
Particulars of the accident about the
;ity we're meager, and there was consid-
srable speculation as to the cause and
circumstances of the accident. The
Olson house is not such a one as would
% difficult to escape from in case of fire,
md it was impossible to see how a fire
;auld have resulted SO disastrously. The
structure is a story and a half in height,
md the family usually slept upon the
drst floor. This was so arranged that il
would not be difficult of egress in case
of fire. There is at least one window in
each room, and in the lower part of the
house there are five windows and the
ioors, from any of which it would be
possible to escape without trouble. Fol-
his reason it was diff cult to see how all
five members of the family could have
persisted in the flames. A later tele.
gram, received about II o'clock, how.
ever, confirmed the first news received
and stated that the bodies OF all five OF
the members of the family had been re.
covered from the ruins of the house.
DIR. Smyth was in Sterling Monday
night, and vas amoug the last persons
who saw Olson alive. The doctor was
detained at Sterling, in waiting for a
train, and met Olson at the village store
in the evening. He seemed in good
health and spirits, and left the store
shortly after 8 o'clock for home. He was
accompanied by a reighbor, and the two
started out together dpon the last trip
which Olson will ever make from the
town to his home. At about 7 o'clock
yesterday morning, when the doctor
made his way to the depot to catch the
regular passenger train, he noticed,
along with the others who we're at the
depot, the bright light in the direction
of Olson's place. At, that time it pre-
sented the appearance of three windows
brightly lighted. Shortly afterward the
light seemed to die away, when the
building had been consumed, and moth
ing could be seer but the dull glow of
the dying embers of the fire.
Word of the accident was yesterday
sent to a sister of Mrs. Olson, who is
Mrs. Walter Sicth, a resident of Dickin-
son.
About the olty the accident has caused
a sort of horror, at the wiping out thereby
Of a whole family, without the escape OF