The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-01-08
N TERRIBLE ACONY.

even slipped from its position on the
brows and covered their eyes.
N TERRIBLE AcONy.
The injured were IN awful agony.
The men who were earliest at the trag-
edy said WEIGH had been almost en-
tirely dressed, and as consequence
the FIRE burned him the worst, and
when first seen, Rogers declared the
flames shot two feet above his head.
The covering Of lard on their burns
and the injections of morphine abated
the pain little, and until the end they
never ceased to moan and utter PiteOus
cries
WEIGH and Fleet were kept apart at
first and each kept inquiring about the
welfare Of the other, but later both were
taken into the parlor of the hotel, where
WEIGH died at FPS and Fleet at 2:47
O'Clock Monday morning. They were
conscious for about two hours after the
accident, and spoke Familiarity to those
they knew. WEIGH burdened his mind
with the thought that he was to blame
He kept saying to those around him;
It's all my fault; Bob is not to blame
at all. We were cleaning our clothes
with gasoline and I lit a match to smoke
a cigarette, and our clothes took fire. I
know Pm gone. Send a telegram TO
my father IN Savanna, Ill, to come and
say have been awfully burned -
Since working at the Depot hotel the
two young men had been given a little
room IN the laundry building Just north
of the hotel. The room was provided
with a bed, a stand, a closet in one cor
ner, and window on the west. In
cleaning their clothes Sunday evening
the men placed a cup of gasoline on the
window sill and used a brush TO apply
It with The room being very small,
was soon filed with gas, and when the
match was struck with no thought of
danger, the gas flashed up with FIRE
from all the clothing. WEIGH was dress
ed, but Fleet was IN MS undertaking
preparing TO retire. In an instant both
occupants were flames Of FIRE, and II Is
doubtful If human power is swift enough
to have saved them from the fatal eff
feSts OF the burns.
DR.. Gulick. coroner, made a statement
of the accident from the testimony of
the men, crrroborated by witnesses Of
the scene. No blame is attached to the
management Of the hotel, and according
to the statement of WEIGH, the FIRE was
the result of a needless and fatal mo
ment.
FLEET TELLS SECRET HISTORY
Fleet, a well built, fine looking young
man of twenty years, did not complain
of the accident, but simply said WEIGH
| lit a match to smoke a cigarette after
they had been cleaning their clothes
with gasoline. A lighted lamp was on
the stand, but II did not start the flame
Fleet surmised that ne was fatally burn
ed, and asked DR.. Smith if he could get
we'll The doctor shook his head and
stepped away, not seen by Fleet And
again he asked the question and wanted
to know honestly, when DR.. Smith told
him he was going to die
| Then We got a whole lot on my
mind I want to tell, . Fleet said. my
folks live IN Salisbury, No, and I want
you TO telegraph them I've been burned
and am dying" He continued to give
instructions for Immediate things, and
then called for Mrs Archer, sister of
Mrs. c. c. Young, and said he wanted
to tell her some secrets. She seemed so
like a mother to him that he had taken
to calling her Auntie; and not wishing
to die without some words IN his own
defense, ne told Mrs. Archer ne was not
/ exactly the good little boy she thought
he was, and that he had had his troubles
and was going under the assumed name
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