Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-03-04
William Il. Stutzman and Three Chill
dren Burn to Death in E. st. Louis

The st. Louis papers of last Wednes-
day evening gave the following ac-
count of the death of John H. Stutz-
man and three children, at their home
in East, st. Louis, Illinois.
Unwilling to abandon daughter
who was partially paralyzed, Will
lam H. Stutzman, 46 years old, with
two other members Of the family
died with her in the flames which de-
stroyed their home at 1921, Summit
avenue, East St. Louis, early We'd
nesday
Miss Mable Stutzman, Is years old
feared to jump from a second story
window because of her partial disa-
bility. Her father, sister, Miss Floy
Stutzman, 16, and her brother, Harold
burnd to death.
Dean Stutzman, II, the only mem
Der Of the family who escaped told a
st. Louis Times reporter the story Of
the tragedy Wednesday. He saved
himself by dropping from window
as the floor of the room he had just
left collapsed.
Place Burned Rapidly.
The Stutzman family lived on the
second floor of frame building
owned by Stutzman. A grocery store
conducted by w. A. Mcfarland and
McFarland's living rooms occupied
the first floor. The structure burned
so rapidly both front and rear stair
cases were cut off by the flames be-
fore the Stutzman family could escape
in either direction. Mcfarland and
his wife, Mrs. Ida Mcfarland, bare
lily escaped from their first floor sleep
ing room in their night rober.
Dean Stutzman said Wednesday he
was sleeping with his brother, Harold
in a room at the rear of the fat,when
his father awakened him and told him
the house was afire. He awakened
his brother, and his father went to
the next room occupied by the two
girls. The youth could hear his fa-
ther urging the two girls to jump
from a window, but Miss Haze
could not be induced to jump.
Stay With the Cripple Girl.
i II believe my father and Floy
stayed with her." he told reporter
"instead of trying to save them
: selves"
The young brother also joined hi
father and the two daughters, ant
stayed with them disregarding his
brothers urging that they drop from
the window.
II had only time to put on my
trousers and Shirt" Dean Stutzmar
said, 81 climed to the window sill
and stayed there as long as / could
When the floor caved in, l let myself
down as far as | could by clingina
to the window sill and dropped. Thel
| started hunting a ladder, though
had little hope could save my fathe
and brother and sisters. heard m.
sister scream as l dropped"
Taken to Neighbours Home.
Sobbing the boy said some on,
told him the family had escaped, an,
he was aiken to the home Of Harr,
Tate, 723 North Thirty-frst street
Later, some one there told him tn
other members Of the family had los
their lives.
Young Stutzman has two sister
1 and brother in an orphan asylum a
i Patonville, Mo. They are Elizabeh
Q 13; Emma 10, and Ivan 8. His mothe
t died at Hay City, Kansas, six year
r ago, he said, and his father moved t
i East st. Louis IA months ago, wit
him and the three children who ar
o burned. The father was collector fo
!. the Illinois State Loan Company.
i Wednesday the youth was awaitin
9 representative Of the Modern Wood
g men Of America, of which his fathe
Q was a member. The order is expecte
:. to assume care Of him until he ca
9 be placed in the care of relatives. H
!; said the only relatives of whom h
a knew were an aunt and uncle, D.
Q and Mrs. Little, living at Little Rocl
Ark. and his grandparents in Ohi'
y He did not know the name of hi
grandparents.
2 Four Bodies Recovered
u The four bodies were found by "
R. Newgent, ITO North Thirty secon
street, in the ruins after the fire wa
y extinguished. Their position corro
: borated the belief of Dean Stutzma
that the others had insised on remail
!, ing with the crippled girl. Hhe boy
!, body lay on the fragments of par
. ly burned bed and the other three la
! in heap a short distance away.
: The cause Of the fire has not bee
4 revealed. 1t probably will be the sui
i ject Of an investigation by the Stat
Fire Marshal's Office. Mcfarland sal
! he was awakened by his wife, wh
q told him that the room was filled wit
!: an unusual glare, and that when !
4 opened the door into the store int
n their living rooms, he saw the entii
% interior afame.
+ H. H. Grant, S05 North Thirty
n second street, next door to the Slut;
Q man home, said that Stutzman pas
Y Al fha otvn..x... I..e I1,..n TI.-