The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-04-14
FIREMEN:L
LIVES IN JAIL
Four Hemmed In By Wall
Of Flames. ., sae
ESCAPE BY ROOF

Strength Fails and Three Fall Back
into Burning Building---one Rolls
Off and Is Picked Up For Dead.
Portions Of Bodies of Six Missing
\. Firefghters Observation-Disclosures
Removed In Safety Under Military
Escort to Other Prisons.
New Haven, Conn, April 14.-In
the fire that practically destroyed the
county Jail in this city six firemen
lost their lives. They were:, Captain
Charles l.. Chapman, Lieutenant VIII
liam Doherty, Ladderman John .E.
Buckley, Hoseman James r. Cullen,
Hoseman James 7. Mortelle and
Hoseman James McGrath. One of the
firemen was critically injured and
several less seriously hurt were
taken to various hospitals
Six bodies have been removed from
the ruins. When the fire was discov-
cred there were 800 men aud so
women prisoners in the Jail. The
fire originated on the second floor of
the workshop of the Jail. and is be-
lieved to have been caused by cross
cd wires, although the story was cir
culated that II had been started by
one of the prisoners in the hope that
the inmates might escape. A.
In the shop of the Connecticut
Chair company when the fire started
were so prisoners making chairs, and
these were led from the burning
building and locked in their cells.
Meanwhile the fremen we're making
every effort to save the main build
ing, where the prisoners were held.
When It was found that the firemen
could not prevent the fire, from
spreading into the main building.
Sheriff Hugo called all his deputies
and nearly the entire police force
and planned for the removal of the
prisoners to place of safety. In the
meantime Colonel James A. Geddes,
commander of the Second regiment.
G.. N. G., was appealed to by Sheriff
Hugo for enough local militiamen to
guard the prisoners during their re-
moval from the jail. Colonel Geddes
procured the required permission
from Governor Weeks by telephone
for use of the city militiamen, and
by the authority of Adjutant General
Cowles three companies of the Sec
ond regiment in this city were sent
to the Jail. The prisoners were load
cd into vans, trolley cars, busses and
automobiles, and under guard of the
guardsmen were transferred the men
to the central police station and the
women to the Second regiment and
the foot-guard armories.
OF four firemen who went into the
Jail to fight the fire only one escaped.
They were suddenly hemmed in by
the flames and when they tried the
windows the iron bars prevented
them from making their escape. They
made for the cellar in the hope OF
getting out that way. but there was
no means of exit, and Lieutenant DO
herty, who was one of the number,
called, ITS up to the roof, boys"
and they started to make their way
through the burning building to the
roof. Only one reached there, Fire
man Shugrue, and although he tried
to pull up his comrades when they
fell exhausted, he could not. He
jumped from the roof and was picked
up two hours later. after he had
been given up for dead,
When the fire was finally under
control search was made. and what
is believed TO be portions of six
bodies We're recovered II was found
that the cells in the main part of the
jail were all right, and the militia
men, deputy sheriffs and other off,
ciais, under the direction of Sheriff
Hugo, escorted the prisoners from
the police station and the armories
back to the Jail.