Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-10

He CROPPED his way to the door enC
by the time his attendant had reache
him, had fallen to the floor overcom
with smoke.
Wattles seized him and tried to dra
him down to the hall to a place o
safety, but Kent had become so craze
that it was almost impossible to d.
anything with him. Wattles was final
ly compelled to run for his life, as tn
flames We're already scorching hi
clothing.
He, ran to window on the soutl
side of the building, across which wer,
iron bars. Wattles managed to teal
| two of these from their fastenings and
with two other men who had followed
him, climbed out on the sill. They Were
| seen by the firemen, who called tc
them TO remain where they were ana
they would save them.
A ladder was run up as high as pos
sible and the two men with Wattles
were taken down. He became craZed
with excitement and, not waiting for
the return of the firemen, sprang for a
net which some men We're holding on
the sidewalk beneath. He fell partly in
ing injuries which probably will cause
his death in short time. Kent was
left lying on the floor of his room and
evidently died of suffocation. His body
was badly burned. Three hours after
the outbreak of the fire it was found
on the floor of his room, one leg burned
to crisp and the head burned off He
was identified by parts of his clothing.
In a room on the second floor was
DR.. William Bunker of Chicago, who
some time ago lost one of his legs in
an accident. He was in bed when the
fire broke out and, on going to the door
of his room found escape in that direc-
tion cut off. Hobbling to the window
he climbed out on the window sill. He
was without clothing and when he saw
the great crowd below he crawled back
into the smoke and came out again
wrapped in blanket.
He was soon taken down by the fire.
men and esca ped without injury.
A scene that wrought to the pitch of
madness the great crowd that had
gathered around the building was en-
acted at a fourth-story window on the
north side. Across this window was a
heavy wire screen and on the outside of
the screen were iron bars running par
allel to the sill. The space between
these bars was too small to allow the
passage of even a small boy, and be-
hind them were gathered a crowd of
men whose numbers We're afterwarG
found to be between twenty-five and
thirty.
Escape in other directions was i'm
possible, for the fire filled all the halls
and was stealing and eating it's way to-
wards the window at which the men
We're standing. The one chance for life
for that crowd of men lay thru that
SCREENED and barred window. The men
closest to the screen tore and tugged at
it in a vain effort to tear it from it's
fastenings and the men behind them
fought madly to get close enough to the
screen to fasten their fingers in it. So
fiercely did the PRISONS pull at the
screen that from the street below We're
plainly visible tiny streams of blood
that trickled from lacerated fingers
and hands and flowed over the window
sill. A number of the men at the vim
dow were in straight Jackets and
and those, not being able to
help themselves or others, were the
widest of all in their frantic efforts to
break thru the bars.
The crowd in the street Watching the
desperate situation of the men behind
the screen was simply an insane mob.
They shouted all kinds of demands and
to the firemen, who were doing all that
u ~.
from the outside. AS the flames came
steadily toward the men the people in
the street jumped up and down ana
in helpless rage.
1t seemed as tho nothing could be
done, and that all Of the men would
die within six inches of freedom. That
any of the men escaped at all is owing
10 the work of w. E. Davis of Cedar
Rapids, Ia. a patient in the institution.
He induced the men to cease their dis
pulling at the screen and to
mite their efforts. Four men at first
ook hold of the screen, and in almost
minute the crowd behind them push
I'd them away and before the four men |
,ould get to the screen again they were |
to fight with their fists.
window again. and after few pulls |
hey managed to tear down a portion
If the screen. Nerved to the work by
heir success, the bodies of the men
Mayed back and forth as they put all
# their strength into one last effort.
The hands of one of the men We're
covered with blood, but he hung OH and
,ulled as best he could. for he and all
With him were to live not ten minutes
onger unless that screen came down.
md finally down 1t came, the men in
heir desperation pulling with it large
.ieces of mortar in which it's sides had
zen encased.
The screen was gone. but the bars re-
aained, and they We're placed there for
he purpose of withstanding all the eff
orts of insane men, no matter how
trong they might be. AS many men as
ould place their hands on the lower
ar took hold. 1t bent almost double,
nd six men went to the floor with a
rash, holding onto the iron bar which
hey had torn from It's fastenings.
So quickly did the men behind them
pring to grasp the second bar that
hose who had torn down the first were
ably trampled on before they could
rise.
Another bar was soon torn away, and
he path to safety was opened. Then a
ew danger assailed the prisoners. The
rowd behind, hearing at last the way
ras open, pushed forward with such
aste that those near the window We're
early forced thru to meet death on the
dewalk, four stories below. The men
. -,..i,, fallsht to, l.eh,a thoir L