Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-03
Four Supposed Hobees Burned
to Death Like Rats at
Council Bluffs
BODIES BEYOND IDENTIFICATION
It is Thought, However, That One of
the Men Was a Negro Boy of
About Is One Of the viotims-Third
Friehtful Catastrophe of the Year
for Council Bluffs.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Council Bluffs. May 3.--A third
frightful catastrophe for Council Bluffs
within n few months happened in the
Northwestern railroad yards at l
o'clock this morning when four
human beings. three men and boy,
lost their lives by being burned to
death like rats in blazing box car. No
clue could be found to their identity,
the clothes having been burned from
their scorched and almost unrecogniza-
bic bodies.
1t is believed that the four were ho
boes and that they had stolen ride
into the city with the car, which ar
rived at IL: 80 from Chicago. AS both
ends of the car We're open, it is also i'm
possible to tell where the men boarded
the train. The car was filled with bed
ding and it is believed that the fire
started from one of the men smoking.
The four blackened bodies were taken
at c:30 this morning to Cutters
undertaking rooms, where they will be
held for the coroner's inquest and for
possible luenllIlCdllOu.
The car was discovered to be. on fire
by a car checker as a switch engine
was moving ii along with train in
the north part of the Northwestern
yards. The engine crew accordingly
hurried the car down to the water tank
at the Northwestern roundhouse where
on stopping cries of the men inside
were heard piteously calling to be re-
leased from the raging furnace. The
car doors were at once broken open,
but no relief could be afforded the dy-
ing men, as the excelsior and bedding
in which the furniture was packed fur
nished fury for the flames and made 1t
impossible to enter the car until the
flames had been subsidized with water.
AS soon as possible the railroad men
forced their way into the car and were
Mortified to find the burned and dis
torted bodies of three men dead in one
end of the car and that CT a boy about
is years old in the other end. The
bodies were taken from the car and ef-
forts made to identify them, but few
traces of their clothing We're left and
the features were badly burned. 1t is
thought. however, that one of the men
was negro. They apparently range
in age from Is to 35 years and in gem
eral appearance seem to be tramps.
I The doors at either end of the car
were unsealed. which showed the
means of entrance TO the car. The
train which contained the car arrived
at 1880 from Chicago. where the car
was picked up at the Wood street sta
ton There is no way OF telling. how
ever. If the men came all the way from
Chicago.
Tho the contents of the car were
destroyed, the car itself was not badly.
damaged except for being considerably
charred on the interior. The owner OF
the household goods destroyed could
not he ascertained from the railroad
records last night.
This Is the second frightful FIRE
Council Bluffs has had already this
year. the first one being that in which
Mrs. Christensen and her five children
lost their lives in their home, which
was burned in the southern part OF the
city. The third catastrophe of the year
was the drowning OF the three men.
Tack Pennell. William Haskirs and
William Baxley, at Lake Manawa a few
weeks ago.
T. s. Harvey Committed Suicide.
Special to Times Republican.
Roone Nav Sword was received