Union and Advertiser
December 26, 1890 page 5

FOUR DEAD
Fatal Fire on Orchard Street Early This Morning
Mrs. Dietrich and Three Young Children Burned Beyond Recognition.

The Fire Started While the Mother Was Preparing the Morning Meal.
Escape of the Father and One Son From the Burning Dwelling

Early this morning a woman and three children were burned to death in a small one story dwelling on Orchard street.  The fire started about 5 o'clock and the horror of the event soon crowded the streets in the neighborhood with thousands of sight-seers and anxious and sympathetic citizens.  The victims were Mrs. John DIETRICH of No. 7 Orchard street and her three children, Libbie, aged 6 years, Jacob, aged 3 years and Louisa aged 11 months. 

How the fire originated is a mystery.  The DIETRICH house, a one-story frame cottage, contained six rooms and an addition at the rear, used as a kitchen.  There was a bedroom off the front room.  This was occupied by Mr. DIETRICH and his 14-year-old son Frank.  Next the front room was the sitting room; in the rear of this the dining room and off the dining room another small bedroom.  This was occupied by Mrs. DIETRICH and the three younger children.  There are conflicting stories around as to whether Mr. DIETRICH slept home last night or not.  One report has it that Mr. DIETRICH did not go home until 4 o'clock this morning, and that his wife got up to build the fire shortly after.  The other story is that Mr. DIETRICH retired at his usual time, and so did Mrs. DIETRICH, and that the husband got up shortly at 4 o'clock to get a drink and found his wife building the fire.  After getting the drink of water he went back to bed again and dropped into a doze, so he says, from which he was awakened by his wife rushing into his room and calling out "The house is on fire, the house is on fire."  Mr. DIETRICH and the oldest boy put their clothes on as fast as possible and rushed for the street.  In his excitement Mr. DIETRICH says he could not open the door and his wife had to open it for him.  Mrs. DIETRICH then rushed back after her children and that was the last seen of her alive. 

Several of the neighbors were awakened and one of them sent in an alarm.  The department soon arrived and succeeded in saving the house from utter ruin.  But they did not arrive in time to save Mrs. DIETRICH's life, nor the lives of the three young children.  When the firemen succeeded in quelling the flames, they found the body of the unfortunate woman lying across the bed with her feet on the floor, while a short distance from her, all on the bed, clasped in each other's arms, were the dead bodies of her three children.  All four bodies were burned beyond recognition.  The woman's hair was singed off her head and every feature of her face destroyed and her body and lower limbs were charred.  The bodies of the children were burned almost to a crisp.

Coroner KLEINDIENST ordered the remains removed to ROSSENBACH's undertaking rooms on Allen street, where they now are.  Although the place has been besieged all day by a throng of curious sight-seers, no one has been allowed to view the remains, as the coroner gave strict orders to the undertaker not to permit any person to gratify his morbid curiosity by gazing on the charred bodies. 

All day people have been flocking to the scene of the conflagration.  When a Union reporter arrived there this morning he found a crowd of friends and acquaintances of the dead woman and her husband.  They were talking in subdued whispers of the terrible calamity.  Among them was the surviving boy, Frank DIETRICH.  He told the reporter the names and ages of his dead brother and sisters, but could offer no explanation of how the fire occurred.  He said he was asleep when it started and was only awakened when his father got out.  The boy was wandering aimlessly around what was yesterday his home.  What a change!  The kitchen was burned to the ground.  The walls of the dining room and his mother's bedroom were still standing but the interior was blackened in ruin.  The floors of the front rooms were covered with mud, tracked in by the firemen and sightseers.  The furniture, was left, was piled in heaps in this and that corner, while every thing was drenched with water.  Among others whom the reporter saw was a young brother of Mrs. DIETRICH.  He was weeping over the loss he had sustained and could offer no explanation of the cause of the conflagration. 

Mrs. DIETRICH was a Miss DUNNER before she married DIETRICH, whose second wife she was.  She was a handsome woman about 30 years old.  Mr. DIETRICH is a moulder and works at the Cooperative Foundry. 

When the reporter was in an Allen street car on his way to the scene, he met three men who asked him about the fire.  When he told them the particulars one of them said "Good God! boys it is John DIETRICH's wife and children."  It turned out that these men were molders who formerly worked with Mr. DIETRICH at the Cooperative foundry but are now employed in Geneva.  They are now home for a visit.  One of them said:  "Well, that's rather depressing news to hear the first thing when you get home."

On explanation of the cause of the fire is that Mrs. DIETRICH tried to start the fire with kerosene and that her nightclothes became ignited and she rushed back to grab something to smother the flames, and that thus the flames were communicated to the bed clothes.  This theory does not hold if Mr. DIETRICH's story be correct--that his wife came to his room and told him that the house was on fire.  The fact is no one seems to know anything about the manner in which the fire originated.  Mr. DIETRICH seemed to have lost his head.  A neighbor who was aroused by the light, and thinking his own house on fire, got up.  He saw where the blaze was and went into DIETRICH's yard.  There he found the gentleman in question putting on his pants.  He asked him where his wife and children were.  His reply was "I guess they must be inside.  For God's sake save them." 

This gentleman, whose name is Marcus MATTERN, broke in the doors and smashed the blinds on the windows, at the same time calling loudly for Mrs. DIETRICH.  What follows can best be told in Mr. MATTERN's own words:  "Receiving no reply I attempted to enter the house by the front door, but could not.  It was then that the Alerts, Nos. 9, 4 and 5 and truck 3 put in an appearance.  I told some of the firemen that there were people in the house.  I gave them my lantern and one of the firemen shoved it through the bedroom window and saw the body of Mr. DIETRICH lying across the bed with her feet on the floor, while a short distance from her were the dead bodies of Libbie, Jakey and Louisa.  All four bodies were in a terribly burned condition.  Mrs. DIETRICH was probably suffocated while trying to rescue her children.

There was a report around this morning that DIETRICH was one of those who escaped from the Steam Gauge and Lantern Works fire.  Such is not the case.  Another report is that he has a brother who escaped unhurt from the fire in question. 

The loss to the house and furniture will not exceed $500.  There was an insurance of $1,000 on the house and $200 on the furniture.

The funeral of the unfortunate dead was held this afternoon from ROSSENBACH's undertaking rooms.  Coroner KLEINDIENST impaneled a jury this afternoon and will hold an inquest at 10 a.m. Monday.

An afternoon paper erroneously announced that DIETRICH had been arrested.  He appeared at the police station voluntarily and made the following statement, which was put in writing by Chief HAYDEN:  "I have lived at 7 Orchard street since 1882; am a moulder by trade; worked last Saturday in the Co-operative Foundry.  I was walking about the streets yesterday; drank a few glasses of beer, visited with my father and mother, who came to my house; they went away at 9 o'clock; I got up at 4:15 o'clock this morning and took a drink of water and went back to bed.  My wife was up at the same time.  I said to her, "What are you up for?"  She said she wanted to make a fire to keep the children warm.  She made a fire in the range.  I went back to bed; so did my wife.  We slept in separate rooms.  It was half an hour later when my wife called me and said the house was on fire.  We burn kerosene in the lamps and I don't know whether my wife used any kerosene to start the fire.  I jumped up and called my boy and told my wife to save the children.  The fire was in the back part of the house.  I didn't see my wife after that and haven't seen her since.  I didn't go back to see whether my wife had got out with the children.  I saw no officer except Officer ZIMMERMAN.  I think he asked me where my wife was.  I told him I didn't know where she was.  This was while the house was burning.  I had one or two quarts of beer at home and that was all.  After I dressed myself I didn't go back to see my wife, but went to the next house, Mr. MATTERN's, 5 Orchard street.  The folks told me to sit down and gave me shoes and a coat to wear.  I sat there awhile and took some coffee.  I didn't go to see about my wife.  When I got around they were taking the remains of my wife and children to ROSSENBACH's undertaking rooms on Allen street.  It is not the custom of my wife to make the fire mornings.  I usually get up at 5 o'clock and start the fire when I am working.  I generally start the fire with paper.  I have used kerosene to start the fire, but not very often.  I haven't used any lately.  There was no carpet on the floor where the range was.  There is a brick chimney resting on a brachet and the stove-pipe goes into it.  My kitchen I think is 12x12 feet.  There is a sink in this room.  One bed room runs off the dining room; there are a sitting room and a bed room off from it.  The bed room leading from the parlor is not used.  The summer kitchen was where the fire was.  The bed rooms were all on the north side of the house.  I was sleeping in the bed room off the sitting room with my boy Frank, 15 years old.  My wife and children were asleep in the bed room off the dining room, next to the summer kitchen.  Libbie, 6 years old, Jakie, 2 years old and Josephine, not quite 3 months old, were sleeping with their mother.  I came out of the middle room into the dining room and met my wife.  She was dressed.  I told her for God's sake to go for the children.  I was then pulling on my pantaloons and with my boy Frank, I ran out the side door of the dining room.  I never had any words with my wife.  We always lived happily together.  My boy went over and tried to break open the front door.  The parlor stove stood two or three feet from the wall, on the north side of the dining facing the bed room.  There was a fire in it. 

The surviving son's statement was given as follows:  Frank DIETRICH, 15 years old, living at No. 7 Orchard street, and now stopping at 177 Maple street says:  That about 4:30 o'clock this morning my mother came in from the dining room to the middle room where myself and father were and she hallowed fire, and she went out and opened the side door for me and my father to get out.  My father and me went out.  Mother went back to the bedroom.  I went back through the side door from the dining room.  I got back as far as the bedroom door and could go no farther . The flames drove me back.  The fire was coming in from the kitchen into the dining room.  After I came out of the house I ran around to the side window and broke the window in the bed room where mother slept.  I didn't hear mother holler.  My father and Marcus MATTERN were breaking in the front windows.  I went into the bed room and couldn't find anything in the room only the bed clothing.  My father generally made the fires mornings, when he was working.  But since my father has been idle mother made the fires.  My father told me at Mrs. UDDER's that he got up at 4:15 to get a drink of water, and that he went back to bed again.  I went to bed at 10 o'clock.  I woke up at 1 or 2 o'clock and father was in bed.  My grandfather was at our house to eat supper with us.  I came home to my house on 10 o'clock December 25th.  I guess there was some kerosene in the house.  It was kept in a corner.  I don't know whether any kerosene was there or not.  The door coming from the kitchen into the dining room was open when mother told us there was a fire.

Superintendent CLEARY with Detectives KAVANAUGH and FURTHERER inspected the ruins of the house previous to taking the boy's statement.  The theory of the police is that Mrs. DIETRICH after making the fire in the range laid down on the bed and probably went to sleep, that in some way the rear part of the house caught fire from the range and that the progress of flames with the smoke awoke her, when she aroused her husband and son.

Deaths and Funerals
Mrs. Charlotte BRADFIELD SHEPHARD, wife of Benjamin SHEPHARD of Bay City, Michigan, died Wednesday in that place, aged 49 years.  She was formerly a resident of this city.  The surviving relatives are, beside her husband, her mother, Mrs. Frederick EDRIDGE of this city, one brother, William H. EDRIDGE of Batavia and one sister, Mrs. Walter MILLER of this city.  The funeral will be held at 2:30 o'clock to-morrow afternoon from the residence of Mrs. Frederick EDRIDGE No. 205 Court street.

Solemn requiem mass was celebrated at 9 o'clock this morning at SS. Peter and Paul's Church for the repose of the soul of ex-Alderman John A. FELSINGER, whose funeral took place at that hour.  The ceremony was performed by Rev. Dr. F.X. SINCLAIR, assisted by Rev. James P. KIERMAN and Rev. Dr. Edward HANNA.  The bearers were:  George RENNER, Valentine FLECKENSTEIN, Thomas E. WHITE, Peter SHERIDAN, Henry WEBBER and Samuel BEMISH.  Many city officials were in attendance.  The flowers were beautiful.

August, infant son of Philip and Mary STOLL, died Wednesday morning at the family residence, 84 Campbell street.

Miss Marion GOULD, daughter of Mrs. Hannah G. GOULD, died yesterday morning at the family residence, 135 Spring street, aged 13 years.  The funeral services will be held at the house at 3 o'clock to-morrow afternoon.

Mrs. J. HANNAN CLARK Died Wednesday at her home in the town of Gates, of pneumonia.  The funeral will take place at half past 1 o'clock to-morrow afternoon from the family residence.

Marion S., only child of Mrs. Samuel G. GOULD died yesterday at the family residence on Spring street after a short illness.  She was 13 years of age.  The funeral will be held at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon.

John FLEISCHMAN, aged 27 years, died yesterday at 126 Orange street.  He was a member of Rochester Tent, 80 K.O. T. M. and also St. Leopold's Union.  Funeral service at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at SS. Peter and Paul's Church. 

D. Bennett HILL, son of Augustus A. WRIGHT, died yesterday morning at the residence of his parents, 106 Tremont street, aged 5 years.  The funeral will take place at 8:30 a.m. Saturday from the house.  The interment will be at LeRoy.

For To-Day and To-Morrow We Offer:
Our own sugar cured hams 9 cents
bacon 9 cents
Shoulder 7 cents
California ham 7 1/2 cents
Boneless ham 10 cents
Prime lard 7 cents
Fresh pork 6 to 8 cents
Pork sausage 7 cents
Pork tenderloin 12 1/2 cents
FAHY's 33 and 409 Mumford street     psm

Union and Advertiser
December 29, 1890, page 5

DEATH OF ADAM BROWN
A Prominent Resident of Rochester for Nearly Forty Years.

Adam BROWN, a resident of Rochester for nearly forty years and one of the most widely known business men of this vicinity, died yesterday morning at 7 o'clock at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Henry WILSON, at the corner of East Main and Windsor streets.  Mr. BROWN had been in failing health for a long time and the disease, in the form of a tumor, kept making inroads on his system that defied the best medical skill.  Yesterday the end came, and his earthy sufferings over he passed peacefully to his rest.  (picture)

Adam BROWN was a senior member of the firm of Adam BROWN & Son, which conducted a general meat business on Front street, and was besides extensively engaged in pork packing.  Mr. BROWN was born in Hammelburg, Bavaria, December 24, 1830.  He came to this country when 20 years of age, and settled in Rochester in 1852.  A few years afterwards, he first engaged in the meat business in the old city market on Front street.  After that institution was abolished, Mr. BROWN moved into the Frankfort market on State Street.  There he remained about two years and then located on Front street where he had been in business continuously for 28 years.  The surviving members of the family are his wife, one son, George BROWN of this city, and two daughters, Mrs. Henry WILSON and Miss Josephine BROWN, all of this city.  He also leaves two brothers, Joseph BROWN of St. Paul, Minn., and George BROWN of this city and one sister, Mrs. C. SCHAAD.  The funeral will take place from the residence of Mrs. WILSON, corner of East Main and Windsor streets at 8 o'clock Wednesday morning and from St. Joseph's Church at 9 o'clock. 

*
THE DIETRICH INQUEST   
Examination Into the Cause of Friday's Fire.

Coroner KLEINDIENST called the inquest in the case of Mr. DIETRICH who, with her three children, were burned in their home, at No. 7 Orchard street, last Friday morning, to order at 2 o'clock this afternoon in the Mayor's office.

The first witness sworn was Officer ZIMMERMAN.  He testified to meeting DIETRICH at the corner of Maple and Orchard streets the morning of the fire, before the fire was extinguished.

John DIETRICH, the husband and father of the victims of the fire, was the next witness.  He seemed quite nervous and excited.  He testified as to the location of the rooms in his house and said:  "I was at home the greater part of Christmas day.  I went out awhile in the morning.  I had a few glasses of beer.  In the evening my father-in-law came over and we had a long visit together.  During the evening we had three quarts of beer between the three of us--my father-in-law, my wife and myself.  After my father-in-law went away I went to the saloon at the corner of Orchard street and had a few glasses of beer.  I was there perhaps half an hour.  When I came back my wife and the children had gone to bed.  The three smaller children slept with their mother in the rear bedroom and the elder boy with me in the front room.  That has been customary for several months.  I got up at 4:15 o'clock.  I know that was the time because I looked at the clock.  I got up for a drink of water.!
  My wife was up making the fire in the kitchen stove.  I asked her why she was up so early.  She said she wanted to have the house warm before the children got up.  I then went back to bed.  I think I had been asleep again about half an hour when my wife woke me up saying:  "The house is on fire."  I jumped out of bed as fast as I could and put on my clothes.  I told my wife to open the side door on the south side of the house.  I woke the oldest boy up.  I then ran out of the house as fast as I could, telling my wife for God's sake to save the children.  When I got out of the house I put on my pants.  Frank, my boy, went to Mr. MATTERN's house and woke him up.  I could not have saved my wife and children. "If I did I must have run chances on my own life".

Coroner KLEINDIENST--"Would you not have taken chances to save your wife and children's lives?"
DIETRICH--"I could not have saved them anyway."
Coroner--"You didn't try, did you."
DIETRICH--"Well, I would not have had time."
Coroner--" See here, don't you think you could have saved your wife and children?"
DIETRICH --"Well, I suppose if a man had the presence of mind he might have rescued them."

(There is much more to this story but in the end the jurors returned with the following verdict)

We find that Theresa DIETRICH, Elizabeth DIETRICH, Jacob DIETRICH and Louisa J. DIETRICH came to their deaths by burning on the morning of the 26th of December, 1890 at their residence, 7 Orchard street, by the accidental burning of their home.  The jury also finds that John DIETRICH, the father and husband of the family, should be and is severely censured for gross negligence in not attempting to save his family, which he might have done had he made any effort.

Alexander
Cards have been issued for the marriage of Sanford RIDDLE to Mrs. PERKINS, both of Alexander, on Wednesday, December 31st.
Mrs. BROWN died Sunday aged 62 years.  She was a daughter of Mr. BULLOCK, many years a well known physician in this vicinity and a sister of Dr. Galen BULLOCK of Alexander.  She leaves three children.  The funeral and interment will take place Wednesday. psm