Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1885 — FOOD FOR FLAMES. [ARTICLE]

FOOD FOR FLAMES.

A Detroit Family of Four Persons Perish in Their Burning House. An Oregon Crazy Woman's Insane Act-Other Fatalities by , Fire. A DETROIT FAMILY CREMATED. Frank K,nocU, Hl* Wife, and Two Children Perish In Their Burning; Building. Detroit special. The house of Frank Enoch, a market gardener living in the suburbs of Detroit, was destroyed by fire at an early hour this morning. In the flames perished Frank Enoch, aged 26; Susan Whitman Enoch, his wife, aged 22; George Enoch, their eldest child, aged 3 years; Frank Albert Encch, a babe. The origin of the fire; tho hour of its beginning, or any of tho circumstances attending its outbreak, or the efforts of the family to escape, are alike unknown. The fact of the sad fate of the entire familyis apparent in the three charred and blackened bodies, out of which every semblance of humanity has disappeared. These are the bodies of the father, mother, and one of the children — which one it would be impossible to say, for the shriveled little form has nothing distinctive. A few bones of the back and a twisted limb are about all that remain. Nothing could be more horrible than the sight of these remains as they were laid together in a heap beside the smoldering ruins in' which the search for the other child was being prosecuted. It is learned that B. Joseph Eana, George Laurain, and James Whipple were returning from.their lodge meeting about 1:30 o’clock. The house of Enoch Was burning and they raised the alarm, but it was too late. The entire structure Avas in flames, and by the time they reached it the roof had fallen in and the walls had begun to fall. There was nothing to be done in the way of suppressing the flames. The water supply Avas limited to the well, which was inclosed in a kitchen. The creek below was a full quarter of a milo distant and covered with ice, and the men were helpless. They gathered snoAv and ice and attempted to beat out the flames, but their efforts were futile. For a moment the floor of the house Avithstood the flames, and in that instant they saw the remains of the family, which almost immediately sank into the cellar. Willing hands cast aside the charred rafters and beams, and in a feAV minutes the bodies of Enoch and his Avife, apparently clasped in each other’s embrace, were exposed. The effort to lift them out was attended with difficulty, as they crumbled away on being touched. But by slipping beneath them some planks they were tajeen up and brought into the snow- Then it was seen that the body of a child was between them, but only one. Shortly after ten o’clock the searchers came to what they supposed to be the remains of the other child. There Avas scarcely anything left; certainly nothing by Avhich it could be distinguished as being the younger or older one. What remained Avas taken out and placed Avith the rest. The Enoch family were sober, industrious German Lutheran people. Frank Enoch was known to have money in the house, Avhich he had been saving to make some payments, The searchers in the ruins found a revolver, and it is said Enoch never owned one. These two facts led to the suspicion that murder was committed for the sake of robbeiy, and the building then fired to cover up the crime. The position in which the asheß of the family were lying would seem to oppose this opinion. However, nothing is definitely known, everything about the house having been completely consumed. One body was not at first found, and it was thought the flames had entirely devoured it. Later the searchers found the crumbling ashes of what had once been the youngest child. The Coroner’s jury met and adjourned till later in the week.