A Chicago Horror

Eight peraonB wcro smothered and bnrmed to death in the frame houses at ;;1 and 7H:i öouth Canal Street, Chicago, ai o'clock on the morning of June 7. Tliu Dames of the dead are as folio vs : Michacl Murphy, aged 40 years, employed ly the South División railway company; Mrs. Michael Murphy, aged about 35 years: Annie Murphy, 9 years old; Nellie Murphy. 11 years old; Mrs. Mary Durkin, aged 30 years: Patsy La vin, aged 4 years, a son of Mrs. Mary Durkin by a former marriage; John Durkin, 3 weeks old; William Hand, aged 68 years, a butcher. The origin of the fire was at flrst a mystory till a tub containing clothes snturated with coal oil was discovered in the basement. The articles in the tub burned from the top and a strong smell of the oil eould be detected on raising the coutents. John Raleigh, who i's landlord of both the burned houses, told his story as follows: '-When I heard the shoutingl jumped out of bed and dressed myself . The heat was too intense, noboby could stand it. 1 shouted. but got no response. In a few minutes the eugines carne, and I told the men there were two families inside. They said they could not do nnythiog until they had subdued the fire. W ben they got in the only member of the two families they found alive was little Johnnie Durkin, a child of about six weeks. In my opinión the flre was the work of incendiaries, though what their . -nii i . fould nambera I cnr.ot dJwin." The houses havo been fired twice before wlthin a year, but the fire each time was il is;overed before it had made any headway.