Burning of the Newhall House Introduction

From the Milwaukee Journal
Author not listed on article
Date not listed on article

The fire broke out at 4 a.m. while a light snow was falling. By noon there was nothing left but a great cellar filled with ashes, broken brick and a few rods of wire rope, used in the elevator. Firemen and citizens dug for days in quest of bodies, but little was found. It was a terrific blaze and nearly everything but the books in the safe was burned to ashes.

It will be remembered by those who lived in Milwaukee at that time how indignant everyone felt and how, finally, the man who had the saloon concession was charged with setting the place afire to collect the insurance on his place. He was acquitted. The fire started at the bottom of the elevator shaft, which was in the rear of the saloon.

One of the stories connected with the fire that has never been published was told me by August PLEISS, who at that time was a champion pool player. He had been in a match on the west side and started at 3:30 a.m. for the Newhall to go to bed.

Like all expert pocket billiard and regular billiard sharks, PLEISS, who then lived in Racine, had a bundle of cues. Now and then the cues would slip and he spent a half hour picking them up. Therefore, when he reached the corner of Wisconsin and Broadway and turned toward the Newhall, the fire alarm sounded. Pleiss always used to say the cues saved his life.

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Burning of the Newhall House

Published by the Bleyer Bros.
Cramer, Aikens & Cramer Printers
1883

On the next pages is the complete 69 page book entitled Burning of the Newhall House. Below is a list of names contained in the book. Even if you do not find your surname, I invite you to read the pages, as the writing is very eloquent.

See the story

Index from Story

Anderson, T.J.			Occupant (Of Chicago)				
Anderson, Mary			Lost
Anglin, Lizzie			Occupant				
Anglin, Lizzie			Occupant				
Anglin, Lizzie			Lost			
Antisdel, Mr.			Occupant (Owner)				
Antisdel, John			Occupant (Son)				
Antisdel, John H.		Hotel Clerk (Owner ?)					
Antisdel, J.F.			Owner, Occupant					
Barker, Fred			Lost		
Batz, 	V.G.			Monsignor (Mass of requiem)			
Baumgaertner, 			Common Council					
Black, 					Assistant Engineer			
Bleeker, Sylvester		Occupant					
Bleeker, Wife			Occupant				
Bleeker, Aka			Lost		
Borngeser, John			Fireman				
Briggs, C.W.			Occupant (Of Grand Rapids, Wis.)				
Brown, L.W.				Occupant				
Brown, Wife				Occupant				
Brown, Mr				Occupant				
Brown, Horace M.		Doctor (Assisting Identity)					
Brown, Mrs. L.W.		Lost			
Brown, Bessie			Lost			
Brown, Q.C.				Lost		
Burke, Mary				Lost	
Burns, Julia			Occupant				
Burns, , Christina		Occupant (Worked in Dining room)				
Burns, Rosa				Lost		
Busenbark, W.R.			Occupant				
Casey, Ann				Lost		
Chapman, T.A.			Mentioned in story				
Chapman, Mrs. T.A.		Supplied Cross					
Chellis, Libbie A.		Occupant					
Chellis, Libbie A.		Lost			
Clark, 	J.C.			Occupant (Of Wausau)			
Cleary, Thomas			Occupant					
Coates, 				Bathroom used.				
Conners, Kate			Occupant				
Connors, Mollie			Occupant				
Conroy, Patrick			Occupant					
Conroy, Mary			Lost		
Cramer, William E.		Occupant					
Cramer, His Wife		Occupant					
Cramer, W.E.			Occupant				
Cramer, His Wife		Occupant					
Curtin, Michael J.		Truck 2 Forman					
Delancy, Tom			Night Clerk				
Delaney, Thomas			Night Clerk					
Dodsworth, 	Wm.			Giving Aid				
Donahoe, Mrs. Anna		Mentioned in story					
Dunn, 	Jane			Lost	
Duval, J.R.				Occupant				
Elliott, T.B.			Occupant				
Elliott, T.B.			Occupant				
Elliott, Theo. B.		Lost			
Ellis, 	Frank R.		Supplied Decorations				
Erickson, E.			Occupant				
Finnegan, Maggie		Lost			
Flanagan, Nora			Lost		
Flesh, 	Emil			Occupant			
Fogerty, Julia			Lost		
Foley, 	J.H.			Lost	
Frackelton Building.	Mentioned in story						
Fredericks, Gust.		Lost			
Freeman, Mr.			Occupant				
Freeman, J.N.			Reverand (Said Mass)				
Freeman, 				Chamb. Comm.				
Fulmer, W.E.			Lost		
Gavin, Mary				Occupant				
Giese, 	Augusta			Lost	
Giesler, Emil			Lost		
Gilbert, John (b.Donahoe)	Occupants Real Name						
Gilbert, Mrs.(b.Sutton)"	Occupant (Wife)						
Gilbert, J.E.			Reverand (Psalm of David.)				
Gilbert, Mrs. John E.	Lost					
Gillon, Walter			Lost		
Goetz, 					Area Barbershop				
Goetz, 					Barbeshop (Mentioned in story)				
Goggin, Richard			Lost		
Grant, 	S.A.			Occupant			
Green, Garrett			Fireman					
Groesbeck, Julia F.		Lost				
Haak, 	Just			Lost		
Haff, 	Edward P.		Occupant (Of New York)				
Hager, Anna				Lost	
Hall, 	W.H.			Occupant			
Hall, 	Wm. H.			Lost	
Hardy, Andrew			Occupant					
Heiss, 					Archbishop (Performed Absolution)			
Heyder, Charles			Fireman					
Hobart, H.C.			Gen.					
Holbrook, Arthur		Dentist	"	"			
Hough, Judson J.		Occupant (From Maroa, Ill.)					
Hough, Judson J.		Lost			
Howie, Robert			Occupant (Conductor)					
Howie, Robert			Occupant					
Howie, Robert			Lost		
James, Alfred			Mentioned in story.				
Jansen, Lieut.			Policeman Helping				
Johnson, Allen			Occupant				
Johnson, Mrs.			His Wife				
Johnson, Allen			Lost	
Johnson, Mrs. Allen		Lost			
Kellogg, John L.		Occupant					
Kellogg, J.Bradford		Lost		
Kelly, 	Lizzie			Lost
Kelsey, C.				Lost
Kiehl, 	A.A				Reverend ( A Prayer )			
Kleinsteuber, Oscar		Helping						
Kleinsteuber, Oscar		Policeman Assisting						
Krause, Amelia			Lost		
Kuepper, 				Coroner				
Kuepper, 				Coroner				
Langson, 				Secretary				
Laniham, Kate (Kitty)	Lost				
Lee, 	Mr.				Occupant			
Linehan, Kitty			Hotel Chief Laundress				
Linehan, Wm.			Hotel Fireman				
Linehan, Kate			Lost	
Lippert, 				Fire Chief				
Lippert, 				Fire Chief				
Lowry, Geo.				Lost
Lucas, Father			(Mass of requiem)		
Ludington, Mr.			Occupant				
Lusk, 	Mrs.			Housekeeper			
Mahoney, 				Occupant (Of Rock Island)				
Ma-roa,(Wife ?)(Baby)	(Uttered by Hough)						
Martelle, David H.		Occupant (Railroad Conductor)					
Martelle, David H.		Occupant					
Martelle, David H.		Lost		
Martin, Samuel			Occupant					
Mason, Prof. B.			Lost
Mason.	A.F.			Said Lords Prayer				
Matthew, 				Father (Did Sermon)				
Maxwell, J.W.			Occupant (Of Chicago)				
McAlpine, James			Occupant				
McCauley, Mary			Occupant				
McDade, Mary			Lost
McKenzie, William		Occupant (Elevator Conductor)					
McKenzie, 				Occupant				
McMahon, Mary			Lost
McMahon, Annie			Lost
McManus, 				Detective Helping				
Meminger, 				Engine 1 Forman				
Miller, 	John M.		Miller Block (for bodies)				
Miller, 	B.D.			"	"	"	"
Miller, 	Mary		Occupant			
Miller, 	Mary		Lost
Monahan, Kate			Lost
Moran, M.				Occupant (Of Beloit Wis.)				
Moynahan, Daniel		Lost
Nodine, G.E.			Fireman				
O'Brian, 				Police Officer Helping				
O'Brian, 				Officer on rounds				
O'Connell, Bridget		Lost	
O'Connor, Capt. William P.	Directing Body recovery						
Owens, Margaret			Lost	
Owens, Mary				Lost
Palestrina, 			Society (Choir)				
Paul, 	Mr.				Occupant			
Payne, 					Occupant				
Perkins, James S.		Dentist	"	"			
Porteous, 				Mentioned in story				
Porteous, Mr. & Mrs.	Mentioned in story					
Power, D.G.				Occupant				
Power, David G.			Lost
Reed, 					Occupant			
Reed, 	Judge Geo.		Occupant				
Reed, 	Judge Geo.		Lost
Riener, 				Truck 1 Forman				
Rogers, John R.			Mentioned in story					
Ryan, 	John			Fireman			
Schloessner, Martha		Lost	
Schmidt, W.F.			Occupant				
Schoenbucher, Ernst		Lost
Scott, 	Walter H.		Occupant				
Scott, 	Walter H.		Lost
Sharpe, (Gen.)			Soldiers Home. Cmnder.					
Smith, Alfred A.		Fireman					
Smith, Geo. G.			Lost
Smith, L.K.				Lost
Stanley & Camps			Store used					
Starr, 	Mr.				Occupant			
Stauss, Herman F.		Fireman	(see obituary of Herman F. Stauss)				
Sullivan, Maggie		Lost	
Thumb, Gen. Tom			Occupant					
Thumb, Wife				Occupant				
Tice, 	Ben K.			Occupant				
Tice, 	Ben K.			Hotel Clerk				
Trapp, Augusta			Lost
Van Hagg, Ben.			Fireman Supply Hose #2				
Van Loon, T.E.			Occupant				
Van Loon, Thos. E.		Lost				
Vogel, Fred Sr.			Supplied 2 Wreaths					
Vose, 	Capt. Jas P.	Lost				
Walterdorp, Ottilie		Lost					
Warren, Miss			Occupant				
Wason, 					Fire Chief				
Weber, Martin			Occupant					
Weinman, 				Rev. Father (Mass of requiem)				
Weiss, 					Chrmn. Supv.				
Wells, 	George			Assisting				
Whitnall, Frank			Supplied Decorations				
Wiley, W.C.				Occupant				
Wiley, Wm. C.			Occupant					
Wiley, William C.		Lost			
Williams, Orange		Occupant (Of Janesville)