The Detroit times., 1915-10-18
Edith Moore SuffOcated
i'm Blaze Which De-
strOys Resort
20 OTHERS JUMP
FROM WINDOWS
Incendiarism Is Sus-
pected; Loss Close
to $4,000

Nos. 1856 Lafayc;te-ave. east
(Champlain-st) was almost totally
destroyed by a sudden fire, which
swept the place at ) o'clock, Satur-
day morning. and one Of the in
mates Of the place, Edith Moore,
of Cleveland. alias Helen Davis,
was trapped in her room and smoth-
cred To death, while II other women
inmates, four men and Mrs. Fisher
saved themselves only by plunging
% feet to the ground from second.
story windows of the place,
That the fire was OF incendiary
origin is the firm belief OF the
Fisher woman. who told Detectives
Hayes and Bolone that two months
ago an attempt had been made to
burn the place by some one who
poured oil around a rear window,
and set fire to It, That blaze was
extinguished by inmates OF the
house, with small DAMAGE. and Mrs.
Fisher then took out insurance OF
$4,000 on the property. She values
the furnishings OF the house alone
at $4,000, and the furniture is al
most total loss.
Blanche Saullier. an inmate. was
awakened by the pungent odor of
smoke at o'clock, and discovered
that flames and smoke were pour.
ing mp both stairways and filing
the upper rooms with suffocating
fumes. The woman aroused Mrs.
Fisher. and the other occupants OF
the house, and Wild panic ensued.
Attempts TO find some means Of
escape were frustrated by the blaz.
ing stairways and halls, and the ter.
lified men and women rushed 20 the
windows and plunged 10 the ground
below.
Blanche Saullier. in her brave at
tempt to arouse the other unfortu
her hair was nearly all burned
from her head When she finally
leaped from window she was bad
ly bruised about the body, and was
sent to the Detroit receiving hos
pital.
Adele Brooks. alias Adele Lowder
was badly cut and bruised about
the body when she jumped, and was
also taken to the hospital.
Mrs. Fisher, proprietress, was
also injured in her leap for life
but refused to 60 10 the hospital.
All OF the men who were trapped
in the place disappeared immedi
atelv after escaping from the win
dows. One appeared TO be injured
He was clad only in his underwear
but made his wav from the scene
OF the tragedy in wild haste.
When fremen and detectives
reached the room OF Edith Moore
they found her dead body lying face
downward in six inches. Of water
the woman having fallen while
cropping her way through the smoke
70 the window. Her head lay under
the dresser, and her feet under the
bed. indicating a desperate effort
TO drag herself TO safety after she
fell. in stupor.
To the detectives. other inmates
OF the place told pitiful story OF
the dead woman. She was to have
been married, they said in week
to wholesale butcher OF Clevc
land. her home city.
Three little children, to whom
she was foster mother. will mourn
her. knowing nothing of the life
that she led. in order 10 take care
OF the three little orphans left by
her dead sister She had never
been married. according to other in
mates of the place, but had adopted
the three children, and they were
kept in Cleveland, in ignorance OF
their foster mothers lie.
Coroner Rothacher has the ad-
dress OF Mrs. Mary Erwin. No. 1903
Hamilton-ave., Cleveland. as the
person to be notified In case any.
thing should happen to the Moore
woman.
Other inmates OF the place. who
escaped. were: Hazel Mayors, Kit.
tie Lloyd, Beatrice Belmont. Doro
thy King, Camille Clifton, Alice
Howard. Pearl White and Irene Nc.
Coy. The Mccoy woman was sleep
ing downstairs when the fire swept
the place. and had a narrow escape
from death.
Coroner Rothacher will make a
thorough investigation OF the
tragedy.
The Fisher woman's resort held a
unique place In Detroits under
world. Through Ill OF the changes
OF administration and OF policy, the
Fisher woman managed TO keen her
place in operation. either openly OF
clandestinely.
Police who investigated the blaze
are not sure about the incendiary
theory. and are inclined to the belief
that cigarette stub, carelessly
tossed away by one Of the women
was probably the cause OF the blaze
Mrs. Fisher has often furnish cd