NEWS: Cambria Freeman; Ebensburg, Cambria Cnty., PA; Oct 1908 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cambria Freeman Ebensburg, Pa. Friday, 23 Oct 1908 Volume 42, Number 41 **[Newspaper blurry; illegible] Local and Personal Archie Beattie, the well known Ebensburg gardener, who for several months past has been employed as a time keeper on the construction of the oil pipe line which passed through there, had his leg and shoulder bone broken the other day by a large pipe rolling on him. He is now in a hospital in Reading. Mrs. James V. Scanlan of this place, who was visiting in Carrolltown last week, injured her ankle so baldy by stepping on a loose door step while in the latter place, that she has been confined to her home here for several days. Charlotte, the two-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Bolsinger of Highland Avenue, fell backwards off the porch at her home Sunday morning last and received a fracture of one of her arms. Miss Maybel C. Creery, who has been in Chicago for some time with the Richard Russell family, arrived in this place Monday for a brief visit with friends. Connie Anstead, the obliging meat cutter in Skelly's meat market on High Street, injured his arm last week when he was thrown from a wagon by the horse bolting when something broke. Frank Wharton, Altoona, Pa. Oct 22 -- While Frank Wharton, a farmer near St. Augustine, was bringing a load of hay to Altoona, the friction of a wheel on the ladders threw sparks into the load, igniting it. Before Wharton discovered the blaze he was almost enveloped in flames and had barely time to spring from his seat and unhitch the horses. The Metropolitan Hotel is Sold Well Known Hostelry Now Property of Former Cresson Landlord J. H. VanAsdlen, former proprietor of the Keystone Hotel in Cresson, will assume charge of the Metropolitan Hotel in this place on or about Nov. 7. By a deal completed this week, Mr. VanAsdlen becomes the new proprietor, having paid $9,000 for the inside of the hotel. The hotel was the property of the Mrs. Kimball, wife of the late William Kimball. Murder Charges Hang Over Five Ebensburg Jail Contains Almost Half Dozen Men Accused of Highest Crime There are now five men accused of murder lodged in the Ebensburg jail and when the man arrested in Buffalo Wednesday morning for the Wilmore murder is added there will be an even half dozen. Three of these men are in the same cell. They are Thomas Joseph Johns, accused of the murder of his wife and Mrs. Kate Cobaugh at Conemaugh several weeks ago; John Karaffa, found guilty of murdering a foreigner at Hastings, now under sentence of death; and John Lanzing, accused of a murder at Scalp Level. It is a queer coincidence that these three men occupy the cell from which Jacob Hauser walked to the scaffold a couple of years ago. From this cell also Frank Davis walked to the gallows. Chester Gibson is one of the men accused of murder. He is charged with the killing of young Bland and another man at Nant-y-Glo some months ago. Nick Carvatta is a South Fork foreigner charged with having shot and killed Taesris Tizito early in September. Sensational developments are expected when this man is brought to trial. Johns, Lanzing, Gibson, Carvatta and the man who was arrested in Buffalo are to be tried at the December term of Court in all likelihood. Karaffa has been tried, convicted and refused a new trial and authorities are now waiting for Governor Stuart to fix the date of his execution. In addition to those named above there are two foreigners locked up on suspicion that they know something about the murder of Sanford Treese in Wilmore the other day. The December term of court will undoubtedly run over the usual time as at least two of the cases in which murder is charged will be hard fought and long drawn out. Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Barker are home from their automobile trip to Centre County after a very pleasant visit, which was in the nature of an anniversary affair. Mr. and Mrs. Barker celebrated the 10th anniversary of their wedding several days ago, being assisted by a large number of their Ebensburg friends. Four Die when House Burns at the Summit Three Killed by Flames and One Boy by Falling Chimney Holocaust Shocks Little Coal Mining Community Daughter Stood by and Watched Mother and Children Burn Searching for the Father! A horrible holocaust occurred at Summit, a small mining town, near Cresson Sunday morning when an overheated stove set fire to a two story dwelling house which burned to cinders and three were burned to death. While fighting the blaze one person was killed and two seriously injured. The mother of the cremated children was terribly injured when she jumped from a second story landing, after being terribly burned in a vain effort to save her children. The Dead: Morris Delaney, aged 13 years Joseph Delaney, aged 9 years Charles Delaney, aged 20 months Robert Nagle, aged 13 years The Injured: Mrs. Luke Delaney, probably fatally, injured by jumping from a second story building and badly burned. Wilson Judge, aged 10 years, leg and shoulder broken and internally burned. Father Was Away From Home Luke Delaney, father of the cremated children, was absent from home, he having been employed several miles from Summit. Jessie Delaney, a 19 year old daughter, is employed at the O'Donnell House at the Summit and also was absent, thus probably saving her life. Mrs. Delaney was awakened about 2:45 by the intense heat from flames that were ravishing a portion of her domicile. Her first thought was of her children, who were sleeping in another room on the same floor. When she opened her bedroom door she was confronted with a blinding sheet of flames through which it was impossible for a human being to pass and survive. The flames drove her back into the room and she was compelled to seek safety by jumping from a window, but not before she had been terribly burned. She was hurried to the Johnstown Hospital. No Chance to Save Children The fire originated in the kitchen, directly under the room in which the unfortunate children were asleep. The highly combustible nature of the construction offered no resistance to the devouring elements. It is believed that the cremated youths were consumed in their beds as but a few minutes elapsed from the [two sentences missing] was enveloped in flames. [First two sentences of this paragraph too blurry] when the chimney fell in the midst of a crowd of onlookers, Robert Nagle, was caught by the falling bricks and was instantly killed. Wilson Judge was also caught in the fall and suffered probable fatal injuries. His leg was broken and his shoulder dislocated. The building was a small two-story dwelling, located on Keystone Avenue. Not a timber remains to mark the spot where it stood. Girl Watched Home's Destruction Jessie Delaney was attracted to the fire and her grief was distressing when she became cognizant of the disaster that had befallen her brothers and mother. She was compelled to stand idly by and witness the flames lick up the last vestige of what had been her home. Search for the remains of the burned children was made and but a few small pieces of charred bone were found to trace their connection with humanity. Want Search for Father At Summit Wednesday a jury impaneled by Coroner J. C. McMillen, after hearing the evidence of about twenty witnesses, rendered a verdict that the horror at Luke Delaney's home, in which three children lost their lives, could not be traced to any known cause. This done, the jurors signed on another paper, a suggestion to District Attorney James W. Leech that no efforts be spared to locate Luke Delaney, the father of the dead children, who has been missing for two weeks. Both papers were signed by all the jurors - Ellis Mainwaring, H. P. Davis, James Gauntner, H. M. Reesler, B. F. Buck and John Parrish