The Wilmington daily Republican., 1900-01-30
TOLD OF HIS DEATH.

Newark, N. J., January 29.-Oc
casionally voice suddenly speak:
. out of the unknown and startles al
,, who hear it, so pregnant does i
seem with a message from strange
world.
Gussie Rapp had been rescued
IRON a burning house and was
: slumbering peacefully early this
morning in the home of neighbor
: when she suddenly awoke with a
wild look on her face and cried
loudly:
"Papa is dead now!"
Then she fell back on her pillow
and went to sleep again. A few
minutes later her fathers dog, its
hair all singcd, scratched at the
door and was let into the room
whining piteously. Gussie S mother
who also had been rescued from the
flames and lay in the same room,
had shuddered at the girls cry,
and as the dog thrust it's cold nose
into her hand exclaimed
He must be burned to death!'
Her kind-hearter neighbors, who
sat by her, calmed her, and soon
another person entered the room
and said the 1iremcn had searched
all through Rapp's house and found
no trace Of him. Therefore, they
were sure he has carried out his
intention, expressed on the evening
before, to take late train to Plain
field, where he had pressing busi-
ness.
Mrs. Rapp, who had been i'll and
was Frustrated by the excitement
OF the fire, groaned and fell into a
troubled sleep.
Shortly after daylight she was
awakened by the hurrying foot
steps of messenger who came to
tell her that her husbands dead
body had been found wedged be-
meath head of charred raftcrs
which had fallen on him as he lay
suflicating with smoke.
The Rapps lived in a frame house
in No 524 Market street Joseph
Rapp was the head of the family.
The blaze started in the kitchen,
where Rapp was sitting with his
dog. A kerosene lamp is supposed
to have exploded. So rapidly did
the flames spread that the rescue
of Mrs. Rapp and her three child
rcn was accomplished only at the
risk of the lives of the rescuers.
Patrolman Townscn discovered
the blaze, broke in the door of the
plumbing shop Of Isaac p. Jones,
on the first floor of the building OBJ
tained an AK and with it broke in
the door of the Rapps' kitchen, in
the rear of the shop. Rapp had
charge of the shop for Jones.
In the meantime Fred Vitallv and |
a friend, Gus VOTERS of Bath
Beach, who were in bed in the
sleeping apartments of the Rapps,
on the second floor, had become
awakened by smoke.
Wolters rushed outdoors through
the nearest available exit, while
Nitally folded Mrs. Kapp IN a
blanket and, ut the risk of his own
life, lifted her from window and
carried her across the roof OF the
blazing kitchen, which was an eX-
tension, then across the roof of an
ether extension, and lifted her
through another window into the
house of Mrs. Thomas Naughton,
who cared for her.
Vitally, at the risk of his life,
helped the children to safety by the
same route. Sleet was falling, and
the operation was pcrilous. A few
after they had left the
burning house Captain McDcrmit
of Engine No. dashed up into the
sleeping apartments, not knowing
the inmates had escaped. He
found nobody there, and got out
safely though almost suliicated
Within ten minutes the flames
were under control, after they had
done about $500 damage. Suspect
ing Rapp might not have gone TO
P.ainfeld, the fremen made dill
gent search for him, but found
nothing except debris. They did
not examine this carefully. 1t was
Mrs McNaughton who entering tine
Kitchen early in the morning, dis
covered the body. 1t lay on the
loor, bent almost double. firmly
Hedged under the debris, the head
between refrigerator and the side
wall, The body was not burned
out the trousers had been set on
ire by falling embers. Kapp evil
lcntly had been asphyxiated.
1t is feared The shock will result
seriously to Mrs. Rapp. The family
S now left destitute.