Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-23

NOTtH bTltlSn 9G, 0UU
London & Lancashire ;. $1,000. $500
Westminster ........... 1000
fun ......... ........ 1000
Iotal $50. .......... SS,O0O
Night Clerks Experience.
c. A. Oliver, the night clerk who
turned in the alarm and aroused the
guests, was seen by Courier report
err this morning and said that he was
sitting near the front door of the hotel
at about o'clock this morning, just
before the fire was discovered. w. L.
Converse, of Chicago, who was in room
No. S first discovered the smoke and
fire and called across the street to the
bakers who were at work at Yonge's
bakery, asking them where the fire
was.
Aroused the Guests.
The fire by this time had gained a
good Roadway and was then discover
ed by Oliver, who after telephoning
the alarm in to the station, ran to the
second floor and awoke every one in
the hotel also arousing the guests who
were in bed on the second floor When
he reached the front of the hoted on
the second floor, near the steps where
the fire originated, the heat became so
intense that he could not reach the
landing He ran to the rear stairway
and down through the dining room.
Helps People Escape.
| Mr.. Oliver, assisted by one of the
guests, Joseph r. Nugent, of Chicago,
then assisted the other guests to es-
cape from the building, most of them
by way Of the rear stairway through
the dining room. The smoke grew so
dense that no one could climb the
stairs to the third flnoor, otherwise
IO'Connor's life might have been saved.
John o'connor.
John O'Connor, the man who was
suffocated by the smoke was in room
No is, and could not be rescued be-
fore he had been overcome. After the
firemen had the fire under control a
search was made for O'Connor's body
and it was found as above stated.
! The remains were removed to the I'M
dertaking parlors of E. L. Scott.
| The remains will be taken to Mt.
| Pleasant this evening on No. where
his sister, Minnie, and brother Michael,
reside.
Lived at Mt. Pleasant.
| John O'COnnor was a man about 80
or 40 years of age and his home was
in Mt. Pleasant, where he has a sister
and a brother. For the past four years
had been employed by AlonZo Nelson
! as bridge carpenter, on the Burling-
ton. He was considered good work
man. He also has brother in Kansas
City and has another brother who
resides in Burlington. O'Connor
came to this city last evening on Bur
lington No. 1 from Burlington, but he
has been at Batavia where he
was employed on the Burlington,
and intended to return to that place
this morning on Burlington No. 16.
O'Connor was seen by Night Captain
Peter Gallagher who was acquainted
with him, and officer Frank Schwartz,
about 1920. After the fire had start
ed G. A. Oliver awakened O'Connor,
who was in his room with the light
burning. He was lying on the floor
and the flames were spreading SO fast
that Oliver did not have time to see
whether O'Connor tried to get out of
the room. 1t is said that he was seen
at the window in the room but it is
the opinion of Oliver that he never
moved from the floor.
Made Three Attempts to Escape.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Crotto and lit
tie child, who reside in Chicago, had
just arrived in the city at about 2
O'Clock and went to the Laclede to
stay over night They had been asleep
only a short time when they were
awakened by the night clerk. Scan
| tily clothed, they rushed from the
room into the hall only to be forced
back again by the smoke. Two inef.
fectual attempt to escape were
made, and then Night Clerk Oil
yer returned, and. Selling the
child, babe Mr.. and Mrs. Croft
to follow him. This they did, and
reached the lower floor in safety. Had
they remained in the room few min.
utes longer they would have been ov-
erreme by smoke Mr. Crotto is a
friend of Captain S. B. Evans of this
city
ceroner's Inquest.
David Throne, county coroner, i'm
neQa2led jury composed of Ed.
Watts, N. M. Tindell and c. e. Sim
mons, TO examine into the cause of the
death of the late John OConnor, who
came to his death by suffocation dur.
ing the fire.
i The jury arrived at a verdict short
lily afternoon today to the effect that
John O'Conors came to his death by
suifocation in the fire which burned
the I4aClede hotel, the cause of the
fire being unknown to the jury