The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-02-27


more about 8 o'clock Sunday morning
was the cause Of seven deaths and sent
. feeling of horror into hundreds OF
homes in the city where most of the
unfortunate victims were we'll known
and highly respected.
The fire started in basement Of 1906
North Charles street, the residence Of
Jas. B. Armiger, ono of the best known
men in the city.
As soon as tho fire department ar.
rived nets were stretched beneath the
windows and the hremen called to the |
terror-stricken persons at the Window
to jump. The crowd in the street not
realizing the extent of the fire and
smoke within the house, yelled Don't
jump" The bewildered inmates held
back and some Of them disappeared
from the windows. Apparently they
went back for clothing, or perhaps for
some treasured or valuable possession.
It was fatal move, and in most in.
stances cost life.
The fremen had thrown up ladders
in front of the house, and District
Chief McAfee climbed up to the second
story window, where Mrs Armiger was
crying for help. The ladder did not
quite reach the window, and there was
the widest excitement in the crowd
below as McAfee stood on the upper
round of the ladder and grasped the
window sill for support He encour-
aged Mrs. Armiger to swing herself
out of the window. As the chief
grasped her with one arm, he stead
led himself with the other, and had
taken one step down the ladder when
it slipped and McAfee, with the wom-
an in one arm and with the other hold
ing to the window frame, dangled in
the air. A cry of horror went up from
the crowd as 1t saw the peril of the
daring fireman and his human burden.
Fortunately for them McAfee caught
the top round of the ladder on his toe,
and pulling it back into position, re-
leased his hold upon the window and
quickly descended with the woman to
the sidewalk. A great cheer went up
as rescued and rescuer reached terra
frma.
At one of the third-story windows
man with q look of agony shouted to
the multitude below. 1t sent him back
an encouraging shout, and he, mo-
ment later, before ladder could be
run up disappeared. When the fire.
men reached the window the man was
found lying beneath it, suffocated and
badly burned. It was Harold Manuel,
New York stock broker and banker.
In his arms was little Richard Riley, .
grandson of Mr.. Armiger. also dead.
Alice j. Williams, one of the colored
~. H&% %hA I'll
story windows, shrieking like mad.
She leaned far out over the sidewalk.
Don't jump! Don't jump" yelled q
hundred voices. She stepped back
wringing her hands. The terrorized
woman drew half back in the window
and with an awful shrek launched
herself out in the air. Down she shot,
her body turning over several times
and struck the marble steps of the res
idence. The crowd stood transfixed
with horror as the woman's body re-
bounded and rolled to the pavement.
She was tenderly carried to DIR. Batch
elor's Office, opposite, where she soon
died.
While the scenes of excitement and
bravery were being enacted in front OF
the burning residence, other acts of
bravery were being performed in the
rear. Mr.. Armiger's two daughters,
Virginia, aged IS, and Eleanor,
aged Is, occupied the second story
back room. With the greatest
presence of mind Miss Virginia,
assisted by der young sister,
made rope of their bed linen, and
with this Eleanor was lowered to the
ground Fearing to trust her weight
upon the slender cord, Miss Virginia
dashed back to the bed, grasped the
mattress, pushed it through the win
dow to the ground, 20 feet below. She
then jumped and landed thereupou
uninjured, with the exception of a
slight shock.
The only other person of the 16 who
cued was the daughter of MIR. and Mrs.
Armiger. Mra Leila Riley. She was
carried down the ladder by the fire.
men, having been overcome by the
smoke.
When the fire was under control and
the firemen made search of the ruin
ed residence Mr.. Armiger was found
in the hallway. When Whiting dash
ed upstairs with the alarm of fire Mr.
Armiger left his wife in the care of the
colored man and went to awaken the
other inmates of the house. He haG
been overcome by smoke and flamel
and breathed his last as he was carried
into tho open air.
VIM. B. Riley, son-in-law of Mr.
and MrA Armiger, was found dead
nearby. He, with his wife and two
children, had been seen 1T the thirt
story window, and Mrs. Riley hat
been taken out by the firemsn. Blu
before the rescuers could return to th'
window Mr.. Riley, with his two chill
dren clasped in his arms succumbst
to the smoke and dsmea On th'
above were found the bodies Of Mrs
Marion Csmblin, . widowed daughte
Of Mr.. and MIRA Armiger, and he
three-year-old child, Jane.
slapped she Ainistsr's Fses.