The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-04
DEATH In HIS CABIN
The Frightful Ending Of David Davis
in His New Home.
HE WAS BURNED TO A CRISP
II Is Supposed That He Fell In a
Drunken Sleep and That the
Stove Overturned and
Caused the Destruction.

David T. Davis was burned to death
In cabin at the corner of Porphyry
and Ohio streets shortly before II
O'Clock last night. There was no indi-
cation of his having attempted to es-
cape and IL is presumed that he met
his death while in a drunken sleep. The
cabin was little frame shack not more
than lOx20 feet in size, and about all
that 1t contained was a stove and a few
sticks OF wood. Davis had been board
! Ing with Mrs. Williams. back of the
Gagnon mine, but he left there yester-
DAY and he and William George rented
the cabin in which he met his death.
Ihey took possession of the cabin yes
terday about noon, but their furniture
| and bedding were not to arrive until
to-day. They started fire in the cabin,
however, with some wood which they
borrowed from the neighbors and pro-
ceeded TO have a housewarming. They
patronized neighboring saloons quite
frequently and disposed of quite a num-
Der OF cans of beer, in addition to TAX
Ing liberal potations from a bottle of
stronger intoxicant. Their celebra-
ton continued all through the evening.
and their frequent visits to adjoining
saloons attracted the attention Of the
neighbors
George left the cabin about half past
10 o'clock to go to the Butte City hotel
where he has been boarding as he did
not intend to make his home at the
cabin until to-day. George admits that
they were both pretty drunk when he
left the cabin and that the last thing
ne said TO Davis was to tell him to be
careful. When he left the cabin Davis
was sitting ON a stick OF wood beside
the stove. Not more than Is minutes
after George left some of the neigh
bors discovered that the cabin was on
fire and instead of pulling an alarm
box, telephone alarm was sent in,
which necessarily took more time
Before the firemen arrived one man
had kicked in the front door and two
more had gone down into the cellar
from an outside entrance and broken a
hole In the floor. The interior was a
mass of flames. however, and II was
impossible to enter the building. When
the fire department arrived the flames
were bursting out through the roof and
the back and sides Of the building, but
although the blaze was a fierce one, IL
was not very large and IL was quickly
extinguished.
AS soon as the firemen were able TO
make an examination of the ruined in
terror they found Davis body lying be-
side the stove I'm the southwest corner
of the house. and directly opposite and
IT.
IL was burned to a crisp and was a
blackened and unrecognizable mass
The indications were that he had been
either entirely or partially suffocated
by the smoke and then fallen forward
into the fire. There were no signs of his
having made any attempt to escape.
The supposition is that the fire started
either from an overturned candle or
through the stove becoming overheated;
that Davis became unconscious
through inhaling the smoke and fell
forward beside the stove. This is the
belief of the firemen, the neighbors and
Davis partner. George Coroner Rich
ards took charge of the body and re-
IL to the Butte undertaking
rooms, where an inquest will be held
at 10 O'Clock tomorrow.
Davis was a Welshman and was Is
years old. He worked as a fireman at
the High ore mine for a long time, but
had been out of work for the last two
weeks. He belonged to the brotherhood
Of Stationary Engineers and was well
known. He was married, but was di.
vorced about three years ago. His for
ner wife and three children are now at
Rock Springs, Wyo.