Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1901-05-01

Down to Death--The Fire Started in IA
StabIe--Negro Arrested.
Houston, Texas, April 29,-The dead
are: Job c.. Coppin, florist, Mrs. Cop
pin, Gus Coppin, aged 8 years, Lizzie
Coppin, aged years, infant Coppin.
The injured: Mrs. jeff G. Hopper,
back broken (fatally), Jeff G. Hopper,
leg broken and bruises. Stanford
Bates, painfully injured.
Probably the most destructive fire,
involving loss of life, started at about
8 o'clock Sunday morning and ragged
fiercely for more than half an hour
After the fire department had checked
the ravages of the flames and poured
a flood of water upon the ruins, half
hundred hands dug in the debris and
eXtricated the remains of whole fam
ily.
The fire broke out in the old liv-
cry stable known as Ruppershery's sta
BILE, at the corner of Milan street and
Capitol avenue. In an incredibly short
time the whole structure was wrapped
in flames and consumed
The fire department was prompt in
its arrival and a second alarm was
Immediately sounded. The fire was
the fiercest the department has had to
contend with for years, and three resi-
dences, aside from the old livery build
ing, were consumed before the fury Of
the flames were checked.
The ground floor of the old livery
building has been used for some time
past by the American laundry as sta
bles for their laundry wagons and
horses. The upper floor of the build
ing was used for tenement purposes.
Three families and number of room
ers occupied it.
Those on the upper floor when the
fire broke out were as follows: John
Coppin, wife and children; jeff G..
Hopper, wife and son Frank; Mrs. M
]. Thompson, Stanford Bates and
Messrs. Canaday and Nichols.
The building was nearly all in flames
before the occupants were aroused.
and dressmaker, managed to make
her escape down the stairway in her
barefeet and night clothing. Messrs.
Canaday and Nichols and Bates also
managed to get down the stairway,
but the others were shut off. JEFF
Hopper and family, who occupied
rooms fronting on Capitol avenue,
leaped for their lives from window to
the brick sidewalk below. Mrs. Hop
per was the first to jump. She fell on
her back and was rendered unconsci-
Gus. Frank Hopper, who is messen-
ger boy, was the next to leap, and was
in turn followed by his father. and he
received a broken leg in the fall
Upon the arrival of the fire depart
ment the injured man and woman were
hastily carried from in front of the
burning building, a position in which
they would have quickly roasted, to a
place of safety. A call was sent fol-
the police ambulance, and upon its ar
rival Mr.. and Mrs. Hopper were at once
removed to st. Josephs infirmary.
Early spectators saw the forms of
human beings moving wildly about on
the second floor. A little girl was
seen to throw her hands above her
head and then sink into mass of
seething flames. The form of a man
battling frantically to extricate him.
self was also obseurevd The signs g
human life were visible for only mo-
ment, but they had sent thrill of
horror over those who had witnessed
them.
The loss in building and personal
property will be covered by $4,000,
taking close eskimate ny expert
enced hands. Sunday several thous-
and people visited the scene of the fire
and the undertaking establishment of
Ross and Wright, where the remains
of the victims were taken to be pre-
pared for burial. Mr.. Coppin was a
member of the local corps Of the Sal
walton Army and many will recall
his appearance. He wore the uniform a
great deal.
German Moyement