Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 186, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1912 — NARROWLY ESCAPED DEATH IN WHEATFIELD HOTEL. [ARTICLE]

NARROWLY ESCAPED DEATH IN WHEATFIELD HOTEL.

McGlynn House Burned Sunday Morn- | ing While Family and Guests Slept —Escaped Through Windows. The McGlinn hotel building at Wheatfield was totally destroyed by fire at 2 o’clock Sunday, morning and three men who were sleeping in the upstairs rooms were forced to jump out of the windows to save their lives. Ward Hamilton, of Wheatfield, brought the details of the fire to Rensselaer this Monday morning. The hotel was the leading hostelry in that town. The building belonged to Mrs. Lorinda McGlynn, of this city, and was occupied by Eld Higbt and family, who conducted a hotel. Mr. Hight and two of his children were away from home, visiting in Illinois. Mrs. Hight and a hired girl were at home and occupied the downstairs bedrooms. In the upstairs rooms were William Turner and Gerald Tilton, of Wheatfield, and a man named Ballard, of Medaryville. The fire started at the spot of the stairs. It 4s said that a srtove occupying the hall had been filled with old paper and this had been lighted Saturday evening but had been watched { , until it was out The fire doubtless had its origin, however, as a result of the fire in the stove. It was about 2 o’clock Sunday morning when Mrs. Hight and the girl were awakened by the clackling of the flames. They rushed out of their room and found that the flames were ascending the stairway and that the esdape for the guests in the upper story was thus shut off. They gave the alarm and the men made' their escape through windows., Tilton and Ballard jumped but Mr. Turi? er climbed out of a window and down a pole on which the old fashioned dinner bell hung. . Mr. Ballard is reported to have been burned about the face and head some. For all the escape was narrow. The hotel and contents were destroyed and hard work was performed by Wheatfield citizens in keeping the fire from burning the barn and buildings across the street, which also belonged to Mrs. McGlinn and in which Hight had a restaurant. The front of the restaurant building was damaged considerably. Mrs. McGlinn had SI,OOO insurance on the hotel building in G. H. McLain’s agency. She had mo insurance on the restaurant building. Mr. Hight is also reported to have had SI,OOO on his hotel furnishings. He last $25 in paper money. Silver money in the same pocketbook was recovered. Mrs. McGlinn expects to go to Wheatfield tomorrow to view the ruins. The hotel contained twelve rooms. It was quite an old but very substantial building.