Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-08

difficulty in getting Barton out to the
carriage.
He put him into 1t and was stepping
in himself when Barton pulled the
door and told the driver to go on.
Gordon hcsitatcd.
you're needed here. Go on. driver.
I'll promise to live till tomorrow. John.
Go in and help her. She needs some
one"
The carriagc started slowly on ac-
count of the crowd. Gordon waved
silent goodby. When the carriage was
out OF Bowen street. Barton tainted.
He lay like dead man in corner of
the carriage, and when the driver
reached his rooms and got down to
open the door he was frightened at the
sight of what looked like corpse in
the carriage. lie and Williams carried
Barton in. and before noon Barton lay
in a tremendous fever. which the doc
tor said was clear case of pneumonia.
Cant save him." the doctor said to
Williams CURLY. "Ill send up the best
nurse we've got. But Barton might as
well shoot himself as do what he did
last night"
Down at Hope House all day John
Gordon. Grace Andrews. the assistants
and score OF surgeons worked to save
life. with heart breaking doubt in their
souls as they laborcd as to the future
fate of the mangled, crushed. burned,
MANNED humanity that did not merci
fully die. In the feverish horror of it
all as the work OF searching the ruins
went on and dense throngs of curiosity
seekers chokcd all the district. John
Gordon was aware of one prominent
figure that was apparently omnipres-
cnt-Tommy Randall. He was on hand.
checrfully encouraging these who had
lost everything, securing temporary
quarters for those who were wander
ing bcwildered through the streets or
sitting dumb and stolid on their dam
aged piles Of household goods. distrib
uting wagon loads Of bread and coffee
and in several cases hunting up los
children and bringing together families
that had become separated during the
confusion.
Once rs he stepped out of the hall for
Il moment TO get Il breath of fresh n
GorGon almost ran into Randall, who
had one child by the hand and another
in his arms, both of them devourin.
sandwiches Randall nodded to Cor
don. but did not speak, and Gordon
stepped back without saying anything
But all the rest of the day he had a
vision of Tommy Randall and those
children.
Both morning and evening papers
contained full accounts of the "Tene-
mcnt Fire Horror on Bowen Street"
The News printed list Of names Of
property owners, and Philo II. Marsh's
name was prominent among them as
owner Of the double decker fire trap"
us it was labeled. Every paper in the
city had an editorial on the subject.
but only one of them. the Index, called
attention to the fact that for years the
nature of the construction had boon
fully known and nothing done because
city politics did not wish to interfere
with property owners who paid Il GER
tain amount of blackmail for the privi-
lC"c OF ignoring city ordinances. 4
special meeting of the city council.
called to coraiicr the condition of the
people in the ruined district took ac-
ton to provide temporary quarters for
the homeless. Meanwhile public indig-
nation cooled almost as fast as the
ruins in Bowen street when ii was ru-
mored that several prominent men and
women had subscribed several thou
sand dollars TO the survivors and thar
as one result of the fire set OF model
tenement buildings would he built in
the burned district. John Gordon. read
in" all this in moments when he rested
from the great strain that continued
for many days. could not reprcss Il
strong feeling Ghat nothing but Chris
tian grace kept from being bitter ha-
tired of class that the real cause of
all the horror had not been touched by
all the editors and all the public cx-
element The landlords were not ar
rested for anarchy in breaking ordi-
nancCs which if obeycd would have
made the massacre Of children inpoSsi-
spoilsmcn continued To hold their
places and plan for future p.Undcr of
the people. Tommy Randall, boss of
Ward Is, was winning golden opinions
from the sufferers by his lavish distri-
button of food and clothing and shell
ter The disaster was godsend to
Tommy. How should the poor. igno-
rant. stolid people of Bowen street
know that the bread and coffee and
beer and clothing and collins that Tom
my Randall distributed with such
checrfuncSs and good will were bought
with money which men like Mr.. Marsh
and Mr. Rufus Gordon had paid as
part price for being let alone in their
business methods?
How should the people know that
Tommy Randall touched" the pocket
of every saloon keeper and every keep
or of Il disroputable house and every
prominent criminal in Watersidc dis
trict to get the sinews of political war?
Andrews had so often told them?
Wherever the money came from, it
bought the things the people needed,
and Tommy was the best friend they
had. Flowers at christcnings. turkeys
during the holidays, jobs OH the street
force, Il stand-in with the city hall
why. even Miss Andrews and Hope
House had no such gifts for the people.
To be sure Hope House was Il good