The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-14

! Pehaps the most exciting incident
s ela. na L. to any of the senators
was experienced by Senator Stewart,
VINO mad a room in the southwest cor
| ner on the fourth floor
was awakened by the comnlotion
caused py other guests on the fourth
| floor said Senator Stewart to a, State
journal reporter, and when L opened
my door and saw the hall full of smoke
ana saw that the flames We're still con-
| hned TO the lower floors I Immediately
| returned to my room and proceeded to
dress putting on everything but my
collar and necktie. Then l went across
| the nall to the room occupied by Mr..
and Mrs. Morgan who had already
| dropped to the roof of the building at
| the south.
When I entered Morgan's room 1
round the small window entirely filed
with the bulky figure of a man, whom
| upon closer inspection / discovered to
| pc Bent Murdoch. CARRIED in trousers
window sill with his uncovered feet
hanging over the ledge.
Why don't you get out, Bent, and
give somebody else CHANGER I said
to him.
"I cant get out Murdoch replied,
| i can't let co.
II argued with him pretty strenu
ously and finally he consented to turn
| around and while Morgan fixed the
| mattress under him below, I took hold
| of Bent's wrists and held onto him as
long as l could as he dropped down to
the roof.
Z then threw out my own mattress
and dropped out of the window myself
after which We carried the mattresses
| over to the end of the building and
threw them onto the roof Of the one
| story shed and. I assisted the rest of
the party including Mr.. and Mrs.
Morgan, another man and his wife and
Bent Murdoch. down to the roof of the
shed by means of a blanket. Then L
jumped down and We all dropped off
! to the alley in the rear OF the building,
and the party of escapists Went over
to the Y. M. G. A.
TT was quite an exciting experience
and one not soon to be forgotten. have
been located on the fourth floor of the
Copeland during the last three sessions
and the first time / went there asked
the clerk as to the location of the fire
escape. He told me it was in the
northwest corner but suggested that
in case of fire had better jump down
to the roof of the building on the south. |
So when I learned of the fire I knew
just what was my easiest way of es-
cape
Senator Carey. who was also on the
fourth floor, jumped from his window |
onto the ladder of the fire escape on the |
front of the building. He also saved his |
trunk and personal effects.
Insurance Is $4,000
MY net loss will amount to from |
so to 60 thousand dollars said Col. j. |
c. Gordon, proprietor of the Copeland /
Il
ed what I will do with the site but I |
have nothing left but the lots for the
loss at this time seems to me to be |
total. The property was valued at $110,- |
900 and my insurance will not amount |
to half of that sum-
The Nellis insurance agency had in
surance on the Copeland hotel building |
amounting to $50, 900. and on the hotel
furniture to the amount of 81 500. There
is additional insurance of $4,000 on the
building, making a total insurance on
building of $41,000. The companies have
all been advised by telegraph and the
adjustment will be prompt.
Miss Rudolph One Of Last to Leave.
Miss L. B. Rudolph. aef Abilene, escap-
ed from the burning building clad only
in her night clothes and after descend
ing the fire escape dropped into a pile
of snow in the alley. Il was one OF the
floor of the northeast corner of the
building said Miss Rudolph, and lost
everything L had in my room excepting
my night clothes. At that 1 am glad
I was permitted to-escape, though 1 had
to climb down a fire escape in my night
clothes"
Left Lambert at Midnight.
Senator Ganse Of Coffey county left
Mr.. Lambert at midnight at the Cope
land. Mr.. Lambert told senator Ganse
at that time that he intended to take
the 1880 Santa Fe train this morning
for Kansas City. Mr.. Lambert is ac-
customed to stopping at the Blossom
hotel when in Kansas City.
Judge LobdelFs Escape.
Judge c. E Lobdell and wife of
Iarned occupied room 139 on the sec
ond floor of the hotel and made their
escape down the stairs without Incl
dent other than the fact that they lost
practically all of their wearing ap-
parel.
and two daughters had just arrived
from their home in Ashland, and es-
capped clad only in night attire and
their wardrobes as well as all of their
other possessions in their rooms were
lost.
Swallow Has Clothing.
Guy Swallow, sergeant-at-arm Of
Copeland, appeared on the street few
minutes after the fire, fully dressed.
He did not have the appearance of
man who had fed from a burning
nothing but his shoes, shirt and col
lar in his hand. When Swallow Went
to bed last night, he sent a suit OF
clothes to the tailor in the basement
to be pressed. The tailor pressed the
garments, and delivered them in the
hotel office, and here Swallow found
them when he made his sensational
exit He used the office for dressing
Swallow lost all his money and other
personal effects, having removed them
from the pockets of his clothing the
night before and laid them on the
dresser.
Mrs. Is. J.. Thompson Hurt.
Mrs B. L. Thompson. the wife of a
prominent business man and politician
Of Harrington. who was injured at the
fire by jumping from an upper window
in the building, is resting very easily at