Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-05-02
HORRIBLE SCENE AT A FIRE
F. A. Freeney Burned to Death
in View of a Crowd.
FRANTIC EFFORTS TO ESCAPE
Four Dead Horses Also in the
Ruins.


One OF Inc most slCkenlng anG distressing
scenes witnessed III Wilmington for some
time was enacted at an early hour yesterday
morning, when Frederick Asbury Freeneg,
u colUred man % years of age, was burned
to death in the stables of the Wilmington
Transfer Co., oil Pine street below Fourth.
The unfortunate man had evidently been
asleep in the second story of the building
when the fire broke ont, and when he
awoke be saw that escape by the big front
door was cut off, The only possible means
of getting out, apparently, was by the
window near him. He was surrounded by
flames and made rush for the window,
only TO find IL heavily barred. He threw
bis whole weight against the obstruction.
but was poweriess to break through. All
the while he was calling out ptteously for
assistance from outside. His screams were
heard by {. NJ. Paul, a clerk at the freight
office of the r., w. & B. Railroad Co., in
the building opposite the stable, who at
once realized that alone he could render
no assistance.
Mr.. Paul lost no time, however, in mott
flying others and an alarm of fire was
turned in from box No. al3. at Fourth and
Lombard streets. In the meantime several
tiremen, who had appeared on the scene,
made an effort to get at Freeney, but they
were unable to reach him, so fierce were
the flames, and he persisted IN the pres
ence of crowd of people who could do
nothing but stare at the CHASTITY scene.
The struggles of tho frantic negro were
terrible anu his screams were heart-rend-
ing, He would throw himself against the
barred window and would clutch the bars
with Herculean grip, but 1t would not
yield in the slightest to the onslaughts
that he made. He succeeded in shattering
the window frame and clutchcd the broken
glass as though it were paper. The horror
stricken crowd could see his hands and
| body bleeding from the gashes made by
the glass. but he paid little heed to this in
| jury, and directed his efforts against the
! iirm obstruction until, finally, overcome
by the smoke and flames, he fell back
| dead into the hungry tongues of fire. AT
| this point the negro disappeared from the
view Of the people outside and they knew
that lie had suCcumDed to the inevitable.
The Reliance, Washington, Delaware
and Liberty companies responded to the
| alarm of fire and after the flames had been
| subdued considerably one OF the hremen
rushed to the portion of the building
| where the man had been seen and found
the body and removed it to place where
it would not be totally consumed. After
ward it was removed 70 the morgue.
1t was not known whose body it wa:
until about 0 o'clock yesterday, when
relatives of the deceased called at the
norgue and identified IT,. An examina-
ton was made yesterday and it wa:
found that death was caused, evidently by
suffocation, after which the body wa.
reached by the flames and pretty badly
burned, although the face was not muct
disfgured. An inquest was held by Cor
oner Stidham at 8 o'clock yesterday after
noon.
FOUR HORSES ALSO BURNED TO DEATH.
Four of the company's big draugh
horses, which were in stalls on tho grount
floor, were burned to death also. Fiv
others in the stable were removed befor
the flames could reach them. Two of tn
burned animals were charred, but tn
other two had evidently died from suffo
cation, and were not badly burned.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Freeney, the man who was burned, j
supposed TO nave been the indirect cause o
the fire. When the flames had been suffi
GENTLY extingnished an examination of tn
place was made and the stem of a pip
was found near to where Freeney wa
seen. The supposition is that he went t
the stable to sleep and that before lyin
, down in the hay he had been smoking
! and a spark from his pipe is thought I
have started an incipient flame. which di
, not develop until he had fallen asleep
Freeney formerly worked for the com
pany and he was familiar with th
premises, although be was not there wit
the sanction of the company. TIL
employees of the company did not know
that anybody was in the building and wer
surprised when he was seen at the windo'
! during the fire.
Il is not known how long the fire ha
been burning when it was discovered
Mr.. Paul, the railroad clerk, had his al
tention directed to the scene at about 1911
o'clock, by the cries which were enanai
, ing from the stable. As soon as he locke
, ont he saw the colored man at the windo'
J and ut that time the whole second stor
was u mass of flames. and it had EVIDENT
} been burning for some time. The IRENE
were in service about two hours and save
adjoining property.
About half an hour before the alarr
was sounded the Waterman from the mai
stables, on Fourth street near Spruce, wa
J at the Pine street stable after some feeC
and he did not suspect anything wrong.
LOSS ABOUT $1,000.
Superintendent Supplee says the loss wi
. reach about $1,000. while the amount c
insurance was unknown this morning, br
it was his impression that it would nc
cover tho loss.
The Pine street stables were used in col
! nection with the main stables and as
rule from nine to twelve horses were i'll tn
. building. About nine tons of hay an
straw. % bushels of corn and 200 bushe
OF oats were in the loft of the bulldin
| all of which was total loss. The built
/ ing was Quilted.
A FIREMAN HURT.
A fireman, whose name could not |
learned. fell through the roof of the WACO
: house adjoining the stable and had h
face cut and was bruised. Otherwise lie WI
5 not much hurt several other firemen hu
narrow escapes but as far as is know
none were injured.