The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-16
Conclusive Evidence That John
Carey'S Death Was Accidental.
Supposed Dead Man Kicked
Loose From ReScuerS.
KEROSENE THE CAUSE.
Old Man Evidently Was Light
ing Fire With Oil.
Inquest Set for Today Has Been
Called. OFF.

The inquest, which was set for today
to investigate the death of John Carey,
the old man who was burned to death in
his house al 140S Saywell street, North
Topeka. Wednesday night, has been
called off Sheriff Wilkerson is now
fully satisfied that the death of Carey
was due to his own carelessness, and
not to foul play.
The evidence found since the death of
Carey, shows conc1usively that he was
burned to death. and not murdered.
When neighbors attempted to get into
the house they found the two doors Sc
curely fastened from the inside and s.
P. Hill, who lives at 1406 Saywell, next
door to the Carey house, was compelled
to break in a window.
Mr.. Hill said today: Il tried both
doors. but they were well fastened from
the inside. Then / ran around to the
north window, tore off the screen and
kicked in the sash. A barrel of rain
water was standing handy and 1 began
throwing water into the room I heard
Carey groan. and reaching in through
the smoke, felt his foot. and attempted
to drag him toward the window. He
kicked loose from me, and the smoke
drove me back. The next time 1 tried,
I got better grip on his leg. and pulled
him nearer the window, where some one
helped me pull him out and lay him on
the ground He was still alive. because
he moved slightly. We threw all of the
barrel of water and a lot more from the
pump before the firemen came and fin
ished the flames.
THE story that Carey was stiff and
dead when found is all foolishness. 1t
looked like he had locked himself in so
well he couldn't get out at the door and
In attempting to get to the window pull
ed the table over on himself. He was
partially covered by the table when I
found him.
NJ. d. Lilies. another neighbor, says
that one day while he was passing the
rear door of Carey's house, he saw
the old man pouring kerosene into the
stove, and the blaze haring up almost
to the oil can He told some of the
neighbors. and they were troubled
about the performance, saying that
they would all be burned out some day
by the old mans foolishness, This
probably gave rise to the talk that
threats had been made to burn Carey
out
Mrs. Busby, who lives next door to
Carey on the north. said that some
person from the crowd gathered
around the house while 1t was burning.
rushed into her house and shouted,
Telephone for a doctor. He is still
alive
The house, which consists of two
small rooms, was a perfect junk heap.
All manner of bottles. old tin cans
and other refuse were piled to the
papers were stacked in a corner not
far from the stove, and only a narrow
passageway was left through the
house. Since the fire the floors are
covered to a depth of two feet with
Junk.
The effects of the fire show that the
principal blaze was in the stove. The
first blaze seen was issuing from the
chimney, which became so hot the top
burned off. and bricks rolled down tn e
roof. Hills attention was first at
tracted by dull explosion, more like
a loud puff which could have been
caused by the explosion of an oil can.
That Carey had prepared for bed was
shown by the fact that he did not have
his trousers on when found.
A search among the trash in the
burned building has failed to disclose