Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-03-22
MAYOR PROBES THE
UPTON SINCLAIR FIRE
Death of One Victim Spurs Hin
and Coroner to Investigate
Scandal Stories.

Englewood, N. j., March 20.-Coroner
Lees has requested Prosecutor Rooster
to assist him in the investigation ana
inquest which Is to olloW the destruc-
ton by fire of Upton Sinclair's HE'LL
con hall. The coroner has called a
jury headed by Mayor Mackay, and the
proceedings will probably begin Thurs
day. The death of Lester Brigg caused
the inquest.
Coroner Lees said:
$50 many conflicting scandal stories
have reached me from both members
of the colony and outsiders that ]
deem it my duty to so into the mat
ter most fully and ascertain the facts
1 have constaples running down this
stories"
"The Jungle" Makes Foes.
Mr.. Sinclair says he cannot positive
~ assert hat the fire was of incendiary
origin, though he could find no plaus.
ible explanation of its cause.
The author said he knew he had in.
Cured enemies in publishing THE
Jungle" One man, he said, had made
threats against Helicon hall.
Following is Mr.. Sinclair's story OF
the catastrophe:
IT was sleeping with my wife and
my son David in the big tower room
at the very top of the house above the
level of the third foo roof. Strange as
ii seems, l was not awakened by the
crash, but by my wife's screams. She
says that she heard what sounded like
a quick series Of sharp revolver reports,
these being instantly followed by the
breaking of glass Is the flames shot
up to the top of the building n blew
out a big skylight in the roof just
alongside and under our room.
Il realized what had happened. ]
told my wife to take our boy and set
to the ground floor and IA the twelve
children that were sleeping in the dor
mitory there.
II ran down the tower stairway to
the third floor, where most of the sleep
ing rooms are located, and went from
door to door calling out to the occu-
pants that the building had been blown
up and was afire. The Railways were
pitchy black and filled with choking
black smoke.
Il got confused and blundered into
an empty studio, where L lost myself
for a minute or two. When | found
the doo and got back into the corridor
/ made three attempts to go down the
northern staircase, realizing that there
was no chance to reach the grand
staircase, since / could see that it was
already burning. Finally did get
ond floor, although 1 was pretty badly
singed doing it.
Drops on the Snow.
II heard shrieks and traced them to
the rooms occupied by Mrs. Grace Nc
Gowan Cook, her sister, Miss Alice
MCGOWAN, and Mrs. Cooks two chill
dren. l smashed the door and found
all four of them huddled together
screaming. / told them to follow me,
but they feared to come and refused.
Then / told them to get to q window
and wait.
Somehow / tumbled down the stairs
into a little alcove. / smashed out q
window with a chair and dropped upon
the snow outside.
II met Professor William Knoll, an
instructor in the teachers college. He
had a blanket wrapped around him. We
MCGOWAN and Miss Cook were hanging
out of their windows.
1--WE stretched the blanket and told
them to drop the children. We man
aged to catch the little ones. Mrs. Nc
Gowan came next and being a heavy
woman her weight ripped the blanket
to pieces and she went through, injur-
ing herself badly. Miss Cook jumped
last and she also suffered.
I'VE had $4,000 insurance on the
house and S10.0 900 on the furniture. ]
lost all my data and the almost finished
manuscript of a new novel on which
had worked for q year. Mrs. Grace Nc.
Gowan Cool has lost manuscript worth
$40. 900 and several other writer's of oui
colony have suffered almost as heav-
! ily."