The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-06-13
Horrible Holocaust in a Chicago
Hospital for Morphine and
Drink Fiends.
CHAINED PATIENTS BURNED ALIVE
Several Jump from High Windows to
Escape ROASTING.
"B1ind Billy Kent a Victim-New
York Fire Kills Five and Nine
Meet Death at London.

Chicago, June 1O.-A ire repIete
with horror cost the lives of ten, per
hapS more, persons i'll the old Hotel
Woodruff, occupied by the st. Luke
society, at Twenty-firSt street and
Wabash avenue yesterday afternoon.
Alderman William E. Kent, known as
Blind Billy" Kent, is declared by
Marshal Campion and other tiremen
who knew him to have been among
those who persisted. He is said by
DIR. 0. e. Miller, head of the society"
to have been the only patient there
yesterday who was in ait-jjacket.
The body supposed to be that of the
alderman was found, charred beyond
Identification. in such an encasement
Another man was found similarly
burned, with the chains which had
shackled him to a bed still hanging to
his body.
Appalling Scenes at the Fire.
The fire broke out in the basement
shortly after 3 p. m. 1t swept up the
elevator shaft in the rear, surrounding
the section where the delirum ire
mems patients were imprisoned. Then
began one of the most appalling scenes
ever witnessed at a fire. Men shack
led to bedpOsts, men beating at barred
doors, men writing in handouts and
strait-jackets yelled with terror while
the flames rOared their warning Of
death. Through the bowling of the
blaze the cracking of timbers and the
crash of walls came the walls of the
doomed to the terrified spectators be-
low. Men who had never witnessed
such a fire lost their sense of danger
and plunged into the fated structure
intent on saving the manacled suppl
cantS for help.
Thrilling Rescues Were Made.
Thrilling reScueS were made. Tom
Brown, cOlOred man, in two visits
to the third floor, narrowly escaping
death each time, saved two men. WO-
men We're carried down ladders and
three men were saved by q net. Fire
men clambered to the roof and fought
the fire from above. Despite heroic
work the writing victims of the fire
numbered thirteen to the certain
knowledge of the police. The institu-
ton was run by DR.. 0. r. Miller for
the purpose Of curing victims of the
excessive use of morphine. tobacco
and alcohol. His patients were from
various parts Of the country. The loss
is understood to have reached $4,000.
lists OF THE DEAD AND INJURED
Four of the Hurt Jumped from Windows
to Save Their Lives.
The dead are: S. J. Newell, Carl A.
Carlson, Joseph Harrington. Samuel
DalZeli. DR.. ]. T. Stanton; George A.
Ribbeck, Hillsdale, Mich; William
Kent, alderman of the Fourth ward.
Chicago; John +. Knapman, Mrs NJ.
Baumann; f. H. Boyd, IS years of age
and member of the medical staff Of
the institution.
The officials Of the institution also
give out the following list of missing.
1t is not known that they are dead
but neither their friends nor the police
have been able to locate them, and it
is known that they were in the build
ing when the fire broke out: Nj. J. Ca
hill, an attache of the sanatOrum. ill
in his room for the last three DAYS:
William Eggleston, George Harrigan
and Morris B. Loucks. all patients:
Charles McGrail keeper of restaurant
in the building; Malcolm Norris and
Thomas Ryan, patients.
The injured: Matte Jameson. over
come by smoke; DR.. NJ. Silver. Jumped
from the second story window, not
seriously; Frank j. Johnson, nurse for
Blind Billy" Kent, burned about face
and hands; DR.. Willis Bunker, Jumped
from the fourth story window. both
legs broken, hurt internally: Amanda
Wilson; May Ellis; w. f. Davis.
jumped from the third floor: Mrs. O.
Z. Miller, overcome by smoke; DR.. A.
c. Davis business manager of the st.
Luke society, burned and cut: DR..
Boyd, 20 years of age. jumped from
fifth story, internally: Carl Carlson, Of
Pullman, burned and choked by smoke:
William Mcconnell clerk on the first
floor, burned about face and hands:
Michael Luby: G. s. Colt, Lavergne.
His; j. 3. Bishop. st. Louis. Mo-; A.
~, Watt1es, will die; ]. f. Suit, will
probably die These are only the worst
of the injured.
H. C. Davis, business manager OF
the institution, said: When l learned
of the fire hurried to the fourth floor
in search of Kent, who | knew was
blind. He had been here about
week. l could not find him. The
smoke was so dense that l could
scarcely breathe. put a wet handker-
chief over my face and crawled on
my hands and knees about the build
ing. We HAD about fifty patients in
the building. My hands and face are
badly burned
In the rear of the building We're the
delirium tremens patients. Some of
them were locked in. For them escape
was impossible. Their cries of terror
came through the deafening roar of
the flames. nd men on the sidewalk
forgot their anger and rushed up the
tire-hedged stairway.
Two OTHER FATAL FIRES
One at Saratoga and One at London Cost