The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-15
IT'S Mr.. LAMBERT'S BODY DEB


Sunday.
Body Taken From Ruins.
The body of l. z. Lambert. of En-
poria. was taken from the ruins of the
Copeland hotel at 7:15 o'clock Thurs
day evening. The basement was filled
with water and debris following the
fire and work was impossible until
after the water had been drawn OFF,
The sewer traps in the basement car
ried off the water but slowly and 1t
was late in the afternoon before
| searching party could enter the base
ment below the point where Mr.. Lam
bert was last seen.
A force of firemen made the first
search but after they had been work
ing for half an hour were ordered from
ne ruins by Chief Wilmarth of the fire
apartment, on account of the condi-
ion of the walls. The big fire steamer
of water were directed against the tot
cering walls and they were reduced to
such point that they were considered
moderately safe for the time being
A few minutes before six o'clock a
force of workmen headed by David
Upton, a professional wrecker who was
brought to Topeka from Emporia by
friends of Mr.. Lambert from that city
began a systematic search of the ruins.
They began work in the basement at a
point in the northeast corner of the
ruins directly under a window which
had opened into Mr.. IambertS room
on the fourth floor of the Copeland
The party had worked less than an
hour when a mass of charred flesh was
discovered near the north wall of the
building where it was expected that Mr..
Lambert's body would be found. APP
parently the body had dropped straight
to the basement when the floors gave
way and the location where it was
found removes any doubt as to the
death of Mr.. Lambert
Body Charred Beyond Recognition.
The head lay to the west of the
body and lower extremities to the
east. The remains were so charred
that identification is impossible and
all clothing other means of
Identification is missing. The arms
were burned off at the shoulders and
only stumps of the lower extremities
remain. The back portion of the head
is burned away though the trunk and
neck are comparatively entire but
charred and blackened.
The body was viewed by Coroner
Keith and afterwards taken to
ShelIa barger's undertaking establish
ment where an inquest is being held.
Every portion of the debris in the
vicinity of where the body was found
was scrutinized closely for bits of
clothing or other evidences which
body found was that of the Emporia
attorney. DR.. Morgan. an Emporia
dentist, came to Topeka for the pur-
pose of Identifying the body by the
teeth.
During this search bunch OF keys
We're found and they may prove that
the body is that of Mr.. Lambert. A
key to room 341 of the Copeland
bert the i'll fated night was also
found near the point where the body
was found. The corpse was that of
man under medium height and rather
stout which fits the description of Mr..
Lambert and the evidence is so con-
| elusive that practically all doubts as
to the Identification of the remains
| have been removed.
The following intimate friends of
| Mr.. Lambert's came from Emporia as
soon as it was known that Mr.. Lam
! bert was numbered among the miss
/ ing: Howard Dunlap. w. L. Hug
gins. w. c. Harris, r. NJ. Hamer, Q.
| w. Way. John z. Martin, Fred Lakin,
| o. NJ. Wilhite, N Guettel, Dan Dyer
! and A. H. Gufier, exalted ruler of the
/ Elk body to which Mr.. Lambert be-
| longed.
They brought with them David
| a systematic search for the body as
/ soon as the condition of the ruins
would permit. Arc lights were in
! stalled and arrangements made to
work all night if necessary.
No Decision About Rebuilding.
The walls S. anding charred and
ragged, encircling a tangled mass of
burned and water soaked debris, is all
/
hotel, which two days ago was buzz
| ing with the conversation of politicians
| and legislators.
The loss of the building and furni-
ture amounted to $12O,0OO The build
ing was covered by $4S,5O0 insurance.
| This still leaves a loss of S71,500, all
| OF which falls on Colonel J. Copeland
gordon, sole owner of the hotel.
colonel Gordon has not decided wheth-
er he will rebuild the house or not.
I do not know what I will do said
ne IN response to an inquiry. He Is,
| however, bearing up well under the
disaster, though he is 81 years old.
His only regret seems to be the loss
OF Mr.. Lambert. f'I would care less
said he. If Mr.. Lambert were alive"
The remarkable feature of the fire
IS that more lives were not lost. The
f1re escapes in the rear of he build
ing were rendered useless by the prox-
unity OF the fire, before the alarm was
The fight against the fire was
hopeless task from the start The
alarm was sounded after the flames
I1.a nad secured headway. And the
water pressure was entirely made
quate. The charts of the wa er man
may show up all right but the fact
remains that the only streams that
could be thrown above the lower part
OF the second story were those which
mad steamer o propel the water.
RumorS of Other Deaths Unfounded.
A complete list of the dead and in
1ured was published in the early edi-
tlons OF the State Journal Thursday
morning, and no changes have been
found so far. There is a rumor that
one man leaped from a window on the
south side of the building and crash
ed through the Skylight OF the din
ing room to perish in the flames. The
truth of this report will not be known
until the force now clearing the de-
bris reaches this part of the building.
But little credence is given to the re-
port
The cause of the fire has not been
determined. Chief G. o. Wilmarth of
the local fire department is at a loss