Carter, Michael J. Capt. died 1891

CARTER, DUNN, QUINLEVAN

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 6/2/2017 at 14:00:14

Elkader Register, Thur., 23 April 1891. Extracted from a column-long article mainly detailing the funeral and funeral procession.

A Gallant Omaha Fireman Loses His Life in the Performance of His Duty. He Was a Former Clayton County Boy.

During the progress of a fire in the Paxton hotel at Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday evening, April 12th, 1891, Capt. Michael J. Carter, of the Omaha fire department, lost his life by the falling of a wall. Deceased was born in Clayton county, and was a brother to Mrs. Peter Dunn, of Cox Creek township. His funeral took place Wednesday of last week at St. Philomena's Cathedral. Burial was in the cemetery of the Holy Sepulcher.

Mr. Carter's sister, Mrs. Peter Dunn, of Elkader, Iowa, accompanied by her cousin, Mrs. M. Quinlevan, of Dubuque, Iowa, arrived in Omaha in time to be present at the funeral and pay their last sad tributes of love to the departed one.

Mr. Carter was a native of Clayton County, Iowa, but had been a resident of Omaha for many years and a gallant member of the cities fire department. He was 35 years of age, and leaves a wife and one child, a brother and a sister to mourn his untimely death. These have the sympathy of all our citizens in their great sorrow.

A coroner's inquest was held, and the testimony of the firemen showed that Capt. Carter's men had placed a ladder against the walls of the burning building, and were ascending it, when the wall fell, burying Mr. Carter and three others in the debris. Mr. Carter's injuries proved fatal and one of his men was seriously injured. It was the opinion of all the witnesses that a rotten or poorly constructed wall was the cause of the accident, which impelled the jury to bring in a verdict as follows: "We find that Capt. Carter came to his death by a wall falling on him while he was discharging his duty as a fireman. The wall was constructed in such a manner which made it un-safe for the purpose for which it was used, and we further find that the building, or at least the portion that fell, was owned by J. B. Kitchen. We recommend that the grand jury investigate and see who is criminally liable for the death of Capt. M. J. Carter."

(Placed here as an aid to researchers of these Carter/Dunn/Quinlevan families with Clayton County connections.)