Year: 1866

lClvm lHe SnlcagO hepuDllcan.l


In Tuesdays issue of the ReDublicaa an account
was given OF fire which occurred in the rear of the
Farmers Hotel, on West Lake street and the stato-
ment was made at the time that two persons were
supposed to have periShed in the flames. Upon sub
sequent investigation the surmise proved unfortu-
nately too true; man, named Henry Bahler by
9ccuPation Whltewasher, with his daughter were
=, On TUESDAY afternoon an inquest was held upon
The examination elected the fact that Bahler and his
daughter slept IN the upper front floor of the barn.
IN the rear of the hotel, which fitted up as a
sleeping In the barn seven or eight tons
OF hay, and ten horses and two cows were stabbed
there. About o'clock Henry Wendt discovered the
fire. awakened Fred. Obeubers, the hoster and the


After they had partially succeeded in this, they
vent to the top, OF the staircase and called to
Bahler and his daughter. The thickness of tho
smoke prevented them from entering the room. and
as they received no answer they concluded both had
aps a6 was I the After the
upon the floor of the room. The man had crswled to
the top of the stairway, which was just outside the
door and had there fallen back against the WALL par
tally leaning elbow. The flesh Of the skull
was entire burnt off and his hands, feet and one
knee were burnt aud blackened. The daughter had
succeeded in reaching the window of the room, and
was found lying on her back with her feet resting
upon the window-sitl. The body resembled, in gen
era appearance, that of the father. 1t is probable
that they both died from the effects of the smoke be-
tore their bodies were reached by the fire.


- The verdict of the jury death by suffocation
But the most dreadful feature of the affair is yet
appear. confession has been made, copy of
which We suboin. by which it is alleged that the
atroclous deed, wherein not only two human lives
were sacrificed, but the existence of many others
were Jeopardized was planned in anticipation of its
performance, and weak k-minded man wrought up
to the proper state of excitement by ardent spirits
chosen as its perperatOr. The sole motive assigned
ior a the prompting OF the execution Of the helish
deed was rivalry, or q mean, contemplate spirit of
house.


Louis Hoffman, who committed the arson saws
that he went into the Bremen Hotel little spree,
and there met the saloon keeper a man named Cas-
per. who commenced to talk about the business of
SohIe, the proprietor of the Farmers Hotel Casper
told him that oOhle had promised not to open a
house near his when he (Sohle) sold out to him his
present place of business. Hoffman continued to
drink at intervals, during The conversation, and
Casper ever and reverting to the want of good
iath on the part of Sohle, nnocuated him with his
own deTlhSh spirit. Casper also reverted to q fire
which had taken place time previously on
Sohles premises and remarked, in connection there
with that if the fire had burned him out or if an
3ther should burn him out it would probably close
his GSohe'S business in Chicago. After VIII lie mis-
guided tool, Hoffman. conclud's to light his Pipe
and calls Tor matches Casper furnishes him with six
or eight, and suggests that they could be put to
more effective use, and holds out broadly intmated
future reward in SOhe's premises are consumed


Trembling and cautiously the miserable tool heat
ed by liquor and blinded by avarice, or it may be
some more deeply hidden passion which his confes-
SION does not reveal approaches the premises of the
Farmers Hotel upon his almost openly hidden er-
rand OF foul crime. Fear1uly ne gazes around
Shrnklng from the sound of his football, for con
scShGe gces MAKE towards OF US all, and listening
and looking through the yard, he approaches the
Sheu OF the barn. Here he finds some hay prOtuding
from the open chinks of the timber. and hastily
drawing match he ignites it, and sets fire to the
eombustible material within He knows full well that
ms task has been successful one and not waiting
Tor the result flies rapidly to his home,


The sequel has been told Imagination can readily
NIL up the void in the narration. The position of the
unfortunate girl as well that of her father when
their charred and feless remains were found tell in
agonzlng emphasis their struggles for escape from the
terrible doom which awaite them. What fiend in
human flesh must he be who could conceive or plan.
even in thought, the consummation of so dreadful a
deed; and how doubly fendish he who could coolly
execute it?