The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-06
HELD UP THE FIRE ENGINES
TRAIN CREW'S CRIMIN4L ACTION
 SOUTH CHICAGO.
Refused to Clear Crossing and Allow Apparatus to Pass--In the Meantime Seven Persons Are Burned 10 Death and Three Others Fatally Injured T he Crew Arrested.


 Chicago, May 5-Seven persons were burned to death, three fatally injured and several others slightly burned and otherwise injured in fire that destroy ed a three-story apartment building at 936 Marquette avenue, South Chicago, early to-day. The dead are: Mrs. Jo- sephine Cooley, MabekCooley, daughter; Annie Cooley, fifteen months old, daughter of Mrs. Cooley; Peter Took, owner of the building; Mrs. Peter Zook; Victoria Took; Nicholas Took.
 The seriously injured: William Cool ey, husband of Mrs. Josephine Cooley, badly burned will die; Louisa Christen- sen, face and body burned will probably die; Mabel Christensen. two-year-old daughter of Mrs Christensen, severely burned, will die; Harry Murphy, slight ly burned and both legs broken by jumping from third story, will recover; John Took, badly burned and bruised about body, will recover; Mrs. Julia Err win, burned and bruised.
 While the occupants of the burning building were struggling with the smoke and flames, in hope of forcing their way to safety the firemen who were re- spending to the alarm, were vainly waiting for a freight train which blocked the way of the fire engines, to move away from the crossing and give an open road to the Ire.
 Marshall Drisoll, in charge of the fire men called to the conductor and brake men to move the train, but they refused to comply with his request. The police were sent for and the crew was arrest ed. Then, under orders of the fire mar shall, the train was backed from the crossing, but by the time the firemen reached the burning building the Struc- ture had been destroyed Scattered among the embers were found the char red remains of the victims. The bodies were burned beyond recognition and were identified in various ways.
 The origin of the fire Is unknown The building was an old one, built of wood, and burned so rapidly that all avenues of escape by stairways were sut off be- fore the occupants were aware of the fire.
 Officials of the Lake Shore and Michi- gan Southern railway on whose tracks the train is said to have blocked the firemen, declare that they have evil dence that the blocking lasted but q few minutes and that the, members of the train crew did everything in their power to make way for the fire en- zines. Conductor Brown, who was ar rested, claims one of the firemen un- coupled the air brakes without turning the angle cock setting the brakes and that the engineer was unable to move the train until the pipes were filled again and the brakes released. After an investigation by the police officials the train crew was released on bonds tonight.
 The fire was fraught with an incl dent of the most distressing character, The little o-year-old daughter of Christensen, who lived on the top floor, was terribly burned, her left arm and her face being roasted. Her father, q follower of Dr. Dove, refused to allow the little one to have medical attention and fought desperately when she was taken from him. lie clung to the burn ed arm of the child, and part of the flesh was torn from the member. When finally the police forced him to give up the little one, he cursed them and prayed that they might be punished for subjecting his child to the worldly science of medicine.
 The father was knocked down by some person in the crowd and barely escaped lynching He was arrested.