South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-10
Only Six Victims of st. Louis
Fire Identified and 20 Are
Still Being Sought by Anx-
iOuS Relatives.
DANGER FROM WALLS
CHECKS RESCUE WORK
Bank Vault is Opened and Mil
lion in Currency Besides
Valuable Papers Are Found
Untouched BY Fire.

The body OF William T.. Becker,
brother Of Mrs L. p. Teuscher. and
Miss Anna Becker 415 LaMonte ter
race. has not yet been found in the
ruins of the fire which destroyed the
Missouri Athletic club Monday n
telegram was received Tuesday morn
ing in South Bend.
Becker has not been heard from
since the fire. and his relatives are of
the opinion that his body is in the
ruins, as he was a resident of the club.
Mr.. and Mrs Teuscher and Miss
Becker hurried to St. Louis Monday
evening. Mr.. Becker was the presi-
dent Of the Becker Moore Paint Co,
Of St Louis, and his name was among
those at first reported TO be missing.
ST. LOUIS. No, March 1O.--Facts
Sifted from the mass Of contradictory
reports on the disastrous fire which
destroyed the Missouri Athletic club
and Boatmens bank here Monday.
showed Tuesday that nine bodies have
been recovered from the ruins OF
these six have been identihed, Is are
still missing.
Two bodies were recovered shortly
after noon Tuesday and dramatic in
cident attended the identification or
ono OF them, i. y. Williams a New
York banker Just as the two bodies
were placed in an ambulance, Church
A Williams, of Chicago, who came
here in the hope of finding his broth
cr, sprang into the vehicle and uncoY-
cred the face OF one OF the bodies.
My God, it is my brother" declar-
ed Williams.
He remained in the ambulance and
accompanied the body TO the morgue.
Corrected IAst OF Dead.
The other body has not been iden-
7ihed In the confusion that has eX-
listed since the first report of deaths
in the fire. the number Of dead has
been variOusly stated at from FIVE TO
30. The following list OF identified
dead is believed TO be correct:
William r. Erd. East st. Louis.
T. =. Williams. New York
Allen Hancock. st. louis.
Edwin G. Kesler st. Louis.
James r. Riley. railroad contractor.
ST Louis.
ST Paul.
The work of digging into the ruins
progressed slowly Tuesday on account
Of the danger from the walls that
threatened To fall any minute. DtggerS
were ordered out OF the ruins during
the morning and fremen were assign
ed to the work OF tearing down the
most dangerous walls. Early in the
dav. spectators who were close TO the
ruins reported that eleven bodies
were living near the Washington av.
wall where the men evidently had at
tempted TO find a way out tlremen
and police refused to confirm the re-
port
Bank Vault Opened.
The vault OF the BOatmenS Jank
v-as opened today by "A committee of
stockholders and officers. and all the
institutions records, securities and
currency were found intact. The fire
that had RACED for several hours
around the two steel globes that held
The valuable papers and S1,3T6,9l3 in
at damaged
in the least.
Under a heavy police guard the
money and records were moved from
The fire scene to the banks temporary
quarters four blocks away.
Firemeu working their way into the
ruins slowly Tuesday had removed and
identified the bodies of nine men and
one woman. Three more bodies could
1le seen deeper in the mass of brick
stnd stone Officials of the club still.
were unable 10 account FOR 2S men
who we're in the building at the time
the fire was discovered at o'clock
Monday morning.
Search All Might.
Throughout the night the work of
seeking the dead continued. BY the
glare OF flaming arc lights that sent
ghastlv CLEANS fitting about the
water soaked ruins, the diggers work
ed silently.
burned building all during the night.
Among the watchers relatives and
friends Of missing men waiting for the
next bodies 20 he lifted from under
charred timbers and fallen granite
blocks. hoping that each new find
would rot be the body OF one they
had missed. yet anxious TO dispel the
mystery OF the almost certain death
that had come TO all those who have
not been accounted fOr. All OF the
inferred men who are being cared for
fn hospitals and hotels were improving
- rr-ill die