The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-02

KS Lulu T. ~ yer Alexander diiu
her two chiIuren, MeIba, aged s,
ana Boyer. aged 8. formerly OF
this city. persisted in the Iroquois the
atre fire in Chicago. This news was
received yesterday and fell with a
crushing and hea~rending force. par
tieuisrly upon Spri gville, Utah coun-
", for it is there that Mrs. Alexander
was born. and where her parents and
many relatives now reside. Mrs. J. c.
Gleason Of 247 Sovth Second West
street. this city. Is Ter cousin.
Tt was not until yesterday morning
that Mr.. and Mrs. p. Fl. Boyer. father
and mother of Mrs Alexander. were
tcld Of the tragic death Of their daugh-
ter and he" two little ones The night
before c. r. johnson of SDringviIle.
VINO is q relative of the Alexander and
Boyer families by marriage. having
welded p Miss Bower. received a tele-
grasn from Professor ". q. Alexander.
the husband AMI father OF the dead
woman and children. informing him Of
their tragio end. Il read as follows:
Lulu and children unrecognizabIe.
Gr- Johnson Immediately teleeraD had
back to shin the bodies to SpringvilIe
Tor interment as soon as possible It
is expected. therefore. that as soon as
TIE charred remains can be prepared
Tor shipment they viii be brought back
70 Utah for burial
Mr. Johnson feared TO break the
news to the parents of Mrs. Alexander
Thursday evening. but delayed the try
~1-a--
aged couple were told the story of the
death Of their eldest daughter and
their two grandchildren.
Feared Her Daughters Death.
The shock was not as great to the
parents and relatives Of Mrs. Alexande-
as Ii might have been had not the for
mer feared from the very day of the
Ire that their daughter and her chill
dTen had attended that particular par
Torrance a few days before the fire
Mrs Alexander wrote 10 ner mother
that she was going TO take Media and
Boyer TO the play. When Mrs Boyer
read Of the fire the next day after il
occurred she said:
x Il. E'0" Lulu and the children were
Daily the mother read carefully the
long lists OF dead. wounded and miss
fn= TO see if she could find the names
% her daughter and her two little
grandchildren. But as the DAYS passed
end their names did not appear I'm the
lists the aged mother and other rela-
tives began to feel more easy. The
further fact that they heard nothing
from their son-in-law was taken as a
further assurance that their fears had
been all for nothing.
Fairy Tale Caused Their Deaths.
In the meantime the husband. dis
fracted by the fear that his loved oIsas
were in the chaTneI house. because they
had not returned home after the mat
iHee performance Of Mr. Bluebeard. 50
was searching the morgues undertak-
ing shops and hospitals for his family.
Finally he found first one and then the
others Of the family. Ne wired Mr.
johnson the terrible news. ami inst
when the parents thought their fears
were false, the fact Of their deaths were
broken TO them as gently as possible.
The play Mr.. Bluebeard." was an ex-
travaganza which made a decided hit
~ Chicago. ITS production revived the
fairy tale Of BluebeaTd and his many
wives, and there was a great demand
by tho little folks "a the White City for
the story. Among those who became
interested in IL was Media Alexander.
She got a copy Of the book. read the
EA0t anu tHCH DtEEEQ tltI InOLlEr 10
take her and her l!ttle brother to see
the theatrical performance. Mrs. Alex
Rnder consented.
Burned Beyond Recognition.
The details Of the finding Of the bodies
have not yet been ascertained by the
members Of the family in Springvillo.
q the relatives AMI friends in this city.
The Associated Press dispatches con-
tain the information thai Boyer Alex
rnder vas identified by his father by
q watch in one Of his pockets. The
timepIece had been given 20 him as a
Christmas present by MI Alexander.
The little one was otherwise uurecOg-
= Fable. for the head had been burned
fIom the body.
II asmuch as Professor Alexander
wired Mr.. Johnson that all the bodies
were unTecogniza bic, il is presumed
that he Identified his wife and dauga-
fe, by the clothes they wore, or as was
the case with his little son, by some
thing they carried in their pockets
Mrs. Alexander had but one relative
tn this city. a cousin. Mrs. J. c. CSiea- 3
son who lives with her two children
at pa South Second West street. a
few months ago Mrs, Gleason lost her !