Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-27
ANOTHER FARMERse FAMILY
sARELY EecApEs CREMATION
NEAR srERMAvEas TRAGEDY.
FARMER BELIEVES
HOUSE WAS SET AFiRE
Had he Not Awakened When He Did
His Family Would Have Followed the
Five Stsrnwsis People to An Awful
Death-May Have Been Accidental
Other Iowa News.

Dubuque, Aug. 27.-Another myster-
ious fire at farm homo only three
miles from the SternWeis tragedy Of
Thursday, where five were killed. oc-
Cured on the Nick kirch farm early
Sunday morning.
and their three children escaped from
the burning residence just in time to
save themselves from being burned to
death The rooms in which they were
sleeping were in flames Immediately
after they escaped from them. They had
to rush thru flames in order to get
out Of the house. Except for few
minor burns, all were uninjured.
Mrs kirch is Frustrated as result
of the fire. which entaiied loss Of
SIS, 900, practically the family all. Fear
Is felt for her life.
Was the Fire Set?
The fire at the Kirch farm must have
started at about the same hour In the
morning that the fires at the Sternweis
farm did on last Thursday. 1t was 4
o'clock when MIR. Kich awakened. chok-
ing from the smoke, and aroused his
family. They had barely time to escape.
Had l awakened FIVE minutes later,
said Mr., Kirch, I'VE would all have
burned to death"
While two explanations OF how the
fire might have started have been ad-
vancd, the suggestion has been made
that If the Sternwes nrs was set by
some person other than a member OF
the family. the same party may have
worked at tho Kirch farm Sunday
morning On both farms ali the build
ings were burned.
May Have Been Sparks.
One theory as to how the fire may
have originated Is that sparks may
have alighted on some Of the buildings
from a passing train on the Milwaukee
railroad, which runs close by.
Another explanation and ono that Is
accepted by the neighbors, is that mice
may have started fire in the pantry
by craving At some boxes OF matches
that were kept on a shelf there. 1t Is
stated the house was tho first building
to burn, The other buildings were close
enough to It to catch are from sparks
that may have spread from the burning
house. Despite these explanations there
are some who ara inclined to believe
that the hro may have been set by
some person who may have been re-
sponsible for the hre and deaths al
the Sternweis farm. They say that all
the members Of tho Kirch family would
have been dead. ~ are the members OF
the sternweis family. If they hadn''
escaped from the house as quickly as
they did.
Someone at Farm.
Mr.. Kirch said Monday that he
thought he heard someone at the doo1
of the house Just after. the family re-
tired Saturday night. The family dos
was barking and he believed he heard
knock at the door. On account Of the
late hour. he and his wife decided not
to answer the knock. They thought II
might be Just someone VINO was pass
ing by.
After that Mr.. Kirch knew nothing
until o'clock In tho morning. He
was awakened by a choking sensation
about his throat and gasped for breath
for time. Then sound Of cracking
flames awakened him. He hurriedly
aroused the family and they got out OF
the house just as the flames seemed ia
swallow 1t up entirely.