The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-24
A FIRE HORROR.
Baltimore the Scene ofan Awful
Holocaust.
Seven Persons Dead and Five
Others Severely Injured.
DEEDS OF HEROISM.
The Flames Cut Off All Means
of Egress.
Inmates Were Simply AsphyXi-
ated and Burned.

BALTIMORE, Md, Feb. 24.-Seven
people were asyhyxiated, one fatally
hurt by jumping from a window, and
five others more or less injured by
fire in the residence of james R. Armi-
ger, a prominent jeweler on Charles
street yesterday morning.
The dead are: James R. Armiger,
aged So
William B. Riley, his son-in-law,
aged SO.
Richard Riley, son of w. B. Riley,
aged 4.
Marian Riley, daughter of W. 3.
Riley, aged 273-
Mrs. Marian Champlin, daughter of
James R. Armiger, aged 30.
James Champlin, her son, aged 8.
Horace B. Manuel, aged Sc, of New
York city, a guest
The house in which the holocaust
occurred is one of a row of granite
front residences belonging to the A. S.
Abel estate. 1t is four stories in
height, and at the time of the fire was
filed with costly furniture and much
rare bric-a-brac and unique jewelry,
of which Mr.. Armiger was an enthusi-
astic collector. In the house were
thirteen persons. OF these ten were
members of the Armiger household,
two were servants, and the other Mr..
Manuel, was a guest, who has been
visiting the Armiger family for two
or three days. 1t was his purpose to
have returned to his home in New
York last night, but Mr.. Arminger
prevailed upon him to remain until
Monday.
Half a dozen men who were passing
fastened to the power-house of the
Charles street cable car line, a block
below, and procured short ladder.
When they returned they found
Deputy Fire Chief McAfee, who
quickly mounted the ladder. 1t was
not long enough, but by standing on
the uppermost round he could reach
Mrs. Arminger. As he attempted to
lift her from the balcony, her scanty
clothing caught on an obstruction and
she fell forward with her whole weight
upon the outstretched army of the
fireman. Just then the ladder slipped
and everyone below expected to see
both the rescuer and the woman he
was trying to save dashed to death on
the pavement below. By tremendous
effort, however, McAfee steadied him
self, and holding Mrs. Arminger with
one hand, grasped the balcony with
the other. Hanging thus he slowly
replaced the ladder with his feet and
brought the now fainting woman
down in safety.
In the meantime the other inmates
of the front rooms were crowding to
the windows making piteous APP
peals for help. The people below
shouted to them not to jump, but
Alice Williams disregarded their
warnings, and with an appalling
shrek, sprang from the fourth-story
window, striking the stone steps full
upon her forehead. fracturing her
skull and sustaining other injuries from
iah Oh 4 A.
made to succor the other unforttnates
by means of the doorway on Charles
street, but when the policemen burst
1t in they were met by such a volume
of smoke and fame that they were
driven back.
In the rear room ON the second floor
were Eleanor and Virginia, the I'M
married daughters of Mr.. Armiger.
They were partially dressed, but SO
rapid was the spread of the flames
that they had no time to escape by the
stairway. In their extremity thew
leaned far out of the rear window and
cried for help. A neighbor came to
their aid, and under his cool-headed
directions, Miss Virginia lowered her
younger sister with a sheet, and
throwing a mattress out of the win
dow, 1eaped to the yard below. She
aHghted IN safety, and beyond the
shock and a slight injury to her ankle,
escaped unhurC.
By this time the iremen had reached
the scene, and in twinl1ling had
reared long ladders up to the windows,
both front and rear. Up these they
swarmed and IN few minutes the re-
naming inmates OF the doomed house
were carried out. On the stairway
leading from the second to the third
floor was found the body of MIR. Ar
minger with that of his little grand
son, Richard Riley, clasped tightly in
his arms, showing that the old man
had made gallant attempt to rescue
the boy at the cost of his own life.
In the front room on the third floor
was found the corpse of Mr. Manuel.
He, too, had the body of child in his
arms, telling another story of unre-
Quilted heroism. In the rear room on
the third floor, lying on the bed, the
fremen found the dead body of Mr..
Riley. By his side lay his wife,
breathing family. She was hurried
into the open air in time to save her
life, and though she is-badly burned
about the face and arms, and half
crazed by her terrible loss, she will
recover. In another room were the
bodies of Mrs. Champlin and her
5-year-old son, while upon the upper
floor the fremen found Ida Whiting,
the colored servant, unconscious from
smoke, but not seriously hurt.
Mrs. Marshall Field Dead.
CHICAGO, Feb. 24-Mrs. Mamie
Field, wife of Marshall Field, the