The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-02-10
A FIRE TRAGEDY.
The Two Children of Mr.. and
Mrs. Matt Paulisfch Dead.
MOTHER BADLY BURNED.
Result of Fire which DESTROYED
Dwelling Saturday.

eight o'clock, the fire alarm was
sounded, the alarm having been
turned in from the box on the Vail
Hotel corner. The fire department.
responded promptly and soon had two
streams Of water on the burning
two-story dwelling Of Matt Paulisich.
located on the western end Of Sheri-
dan street.
The fire had gained ouch Roadway
before the alarm was gwen, the build
ing being all ablaze before the arrival
OF the department. How the fire orig
mated is not known bdt in all prob
ability the kitchen tove was the
cause. 1t seems that tae family, con-
sisting of father and NDther and two
children, one about eighteen months
and the other about 2 years of age,
had had breakfast at Z Ne usual hour,
the father having gon3to his lators
at the Pioneer mine agd the mother
after milking the cow lad gone to
neighbours to deliver Nilk. During
her absence the fire broke out.
AXel Pakkala was tia first man on
the scene. He rushej into the house
and shouted for all to Mme out. He
says lie heard no soundAnd concluded
all had gone cut TbD g alarmed
tue neighboTs, At Niis tit .he
mother came home ana 9t~rj led tie
few who had gathereeT ag shrasaing
for her children wL - Te in the
buGnl.ug. hl.ildip' g FS:.sallgeshes
tried TO enter, but Il sing ignit-
ed and she vas pulle0 Dack by a by
staudef, badly burned and frantic and
was taken to the home If n@ighbor
aud physician 5umA he'd This al.
happened in very brief time and upon
the arrival of the department all eff
forts were directed towards getting
into the building and to the children.
After few minutes the side of
the building and the room where the
children were had been somewhat
cooled and some of the iremen enter
ed and among the charred remains of
the room found the dead bodies Of the
unfortunate babes. All indications
pointed to suffocation, the bodies
having become scorched after death.
The strangest part of the whole
affair was that Of those arriving when
the fire had not as yet enveloped the
entire building. none knew of the
presence of the children and no one
was there to inform them.
Stories of the tardiness of the fire
Department.; of the length of time
that elapsed after turning in the
alarm to the blowing OF the whistle.
and several other things, induced
Coroner Gleason to hold an inquest
and in consequence jury was sum-
moned and hearing had at the city
hall Monday. The jury was composed
of P. T. Brownell, John Cove. Grant
McMahan, w. R. Opie, Thos. Jury
and John POrthan.
Several witnesses were examined
and the testimony all went to show
that practically no time elapsed be-
fore the the department. was on the
scene but that little delay was
caused by the party turning in the
alarm at the box not knowing exactly
how to manipulate the lever. The
also showed that had those
who were first on the scene known of
the presence of the children in the
house, they could have been saved.
In view of this the jury decided that
the cause Of death Of Mary and Matt
Paulisich was suffocatien and fire in
in which they were living
with their parents and that the fire
was not of felonious origin.
The funeral occurred Sunday from
the Catholic church and the large
building was filled to the doors. Mrs.
Paulisich is slowly recovering fIom
her burns and fright, while still in a