The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-04-13
MAN IS
BURNED TO DEATH
WALTER M'kiNNEY cREMATED
IN CELL or JAIL.
ORIGIN OF FIRE IS NOT KNOWN
pense Clouds Of Smoke Were Pour
ing From Building When Disoov-
ered--May Have Been Set by
Victim, Or Aecldental.


Waiter Mckinney. aged about thir-
~ years. was cremated in cell In
the Fremont town jail about six
O'Clock this Monday morning.
Whether the victim deiiberateIy
fired the mattresses in his bunk him
self, or whether the IRE originated
from pipe or cigar viii never be
known.
Dense clouds OF smoke were seen
pouring from the jail about SIX
O'Clock The fire was first seen by
near by neighbors to the building
The door of the jail was left unlock
ed but when Bruce Howard. who ran
across the street, attempted to enter
the building, the smoke was so thick
and the heat so great that he was
all but overcome and there might
have been double tragedy had some
one not dragged him out OF the build
ing into the open air.
Howard heard some one yell wal
ter lis in there" He supposed this
referred to town Marshal Walter OF
lom, not knowing of the arrest OF the
man in the Jail. The whole room
was a mass Of flame as Howard at
tempted to rescue the man inside.
Some one obtained an axe and the
north side Of the building was attack
| ed and cut through in the effort to
get at the man in the cell but he was
dead long before assistance OF any
Kind could reach him.
The clothing was burned from the
bedy and the head and limbs reduced
TO a black crisp leaving the features
wholly unrecognizable.
Young Mckinney was arrested
about five or five-thirty o'clock this
Monday morning. He was badly In
toxicated and was making nuisance
OF himself about a livery stable His
condition was such that he was bet
ter off in custody than permitted TO
be at large. Town Marshal Walter
Ollom was called, took the fellow IN
charge. placed him In the cell and
locked the door The cell in which
the prisoner was confined is built IN
to the end of the building with the
front side containing cell door and
steel grating. Top and sides are of
wood. The fire from the mattress
material in the hunks fired the inter
Tor OF the cell house and Mckinney
was soon being cooked alive
Marshal Ollom went from the Jail
1 w AAAo n1AlNf onOEN lQlHlhUlG AWAY
for breakfast He had no more than
seated himself when the alarm of fire
was heard He could not get into the
building when he arrived at the jail
however, as the interior was a sheet
of fire and the prisoner was beyond
help.
Remains of the unfortunate fellow
we're taken out through the hole at
the back Of the building, placed on
a blanket. wrapped UP and laid on
cot in the front of the jail after the
fire was put out
Walter Mckinney was a son OF Pat
Mckinney residing near Fremont.
He has been engaged in various pur-
suits in and about Frmont for years.
He could turn his hand to almost any
thing, from famring to doing odd jobs
about town. He had recently been
employed In doing a Job Of ditching
for a farmer. Deceased was married
and besides his father he leaves a
widow and three small children. II
were acquainted with the details lead
living apart from his family for some
time past.
Coroner E. NJ Cheesman, Of Oska-
loosa, was notified of the occurrence.
An inquest was deemed advisable and
the coroner was enroute TO the scene
of the happening before seven O'Clock
Berry Aldrich. j. c., Newell and
H. N. Hamilton were empaneled as q
coroner's jury, viewed the remains
and we're sworn in in the presence of
the body lying in the partly burned
jail building
Inquest will be held Tuesday after
noon April IL Marshal OIIom was
commissioned to subpoena such wit.
nesses as were necessary those who
were acquainted wit hthe details lead
ing up to the arrest and the fire and
evidence will be heard tomorrow
afternoon.