The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-26
A STRUGGLE FOR ESCAPE
Falls Back Into the Blaze, is Roasted
to a Crisp.
HIS ARMS AND LEGS ARE ALL GONE
John Russell, Employed in a Midway Restaurant
Was the Victim Of an EARLY Morning
Fire That Consumed Several
poothe

Booths.
The cry of Fire" near daybreak.
The Midway of the State Fair in flames
A shrek of horror from behind locked
doors.
A mass of charred flesh lying in box
on the stalls on the Fair Ground
Thus briefly can be recounted the in
cidents which brought death to John Rus
sell, negro boy who has been working
at a restaurant on the Midway
On this Midway there are numbers of
little restaurants in wooden buildings.
In one of these John Russell worked ana
about four o'clock yesterday morning
| this was found in flames, burning up COM
pletely before the flames could be ex-
tinguished The building was about the
centre of the Midway, and had been
4 erected years ago by Mr.. ]. A. Bragassa'
FThe booth of the Alligator Boy was
next to it aud this was burned the ALI
gator Boy himself having narrow es-
cape. Besides this the snake show or Z.
| Clifford was burned.
The flames, after being discovered by
women, burned very rapidly that little
| chance was had of saving Russell. fhe
| tents near at hand were pulled down ana
there was a great deal of confusion.
During this general scramble, ID. w.
White proprietor of the Alligator Boy
show claims that there was stolen from
| him a sack having in it $3.50, which was
/ in his booth.
The flames mounted very high and in
few moments every one about the Mid
way was on the scene. The booths near
| at hand caught fire, as did the restaurant
| of Mr.. w. d. Brown. just below the res
| taurant burned, but this was saved,
though badly charred.
1t is stated by many that screams were
heard from within the burning building,
and a struggle as of some one trying to
get out. Efforts were made to open the
door. but this failed After the fire was
over the charred body of Russell was
found The arms and legs were burned
entirely off as was the flesh on the head
and trunk
The county coroner, DR.. j. l.. Moore,
reached the city yesterday afternoon and
@ Jury was summoned to hold an inquest.
This jury consisted of Messrs. r. II.
Bradley w w. Parish, d. ]. Fort. VIII
NJ NOVEL;. James Bullock and ]. B. Jor-
Dan, the last named being from Cary.
The jury was sworn in by Magistrate E.
A. Womble who assisted the coroner.
Several witnesses were examined yes
terday afternoon and the inquest was
adjourned till IL o'clock today. Among
those examined were d. w. White, show
| man, Mrs. G. E. Messenger and Signor
Elton these being the occupants of the
| tent in the rear of the burned building
Their testimony was that they were
aroused by cries in the burning building
at $3.50 a. M, and that they rushed to
| the house and tried to effect an entrance,
| but could not. The door, so they stated
| was locked on the outside with lock
and clasp. Some one within was making
a desperate effort to get out while those
on the outside were trying to get in.
| ]. A. Jones, the negro who ran the
restaurant, was then examined, but he
knew nothing as he left the place at
| o'clock Thursday afternoon. After hear
| ing this from him the inquest was adj
| journed till today. leaving the following
/ witnesses to be heard: Eldridge Smith,
| A. H. Yearly in charge of night police
at the Fair grounds, and Francis O'Neal,
| a cook.
| The coroner and jury have examined the
body, or the charred remains of it. There
| has been some talk of the negro's head
having been broken, but DR.. Moore says
| this is not his opinion
| John Russell is said to be seventeen
years old. For some time he has been
driving a dray for parties here, and last
J winter he carried mail for Andrew Hay
wood. He lived with his aunt, Eliza Aus
| ton. He was not working at the res
| taurant which was owned by Eldridge
| Smith, but was staying there for Henry
Jones, who had gone down the street.
| There were many tales of the terrible
| affair yesterday. BY some it was re-
ported that the boys head had been
| broken, and that murder had been COM
( mitted to hide the crime. Some said that
no outcry had been made and that no
one knew of Russell being in the place
| while others state that when Henry
Jones left he pulled down the booth front
| locked it and left Russell inside.
| The proprietor of the ALLIGATOR Boy
/ show, who claims to have lost $3.50, is
| said to have asked the Fair authorities
| to make good his loss or 4 damage suit
| may be brought. In this several other
fakirs join because of articles lost during
the ere.
While the Midway folks are claiming
damages, there are other complaints.
There were hundreds of Fidway people
at the fire, and MIR. W. ID. Brown, one OF
the restaurant men, says they stole
everything they could lay their hands en-.
He claims that he had fifty dollars
worth of cakes, meats and fruit stolen
| from him. They even stole the shoes he
had been wearing, so he says. and one of
them took his watch, but gave 1t back to
him after the excitement was over.
| Norr;c Silver North Stanford N H: