Murray, James 1836-1908

MURRAY

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 1/3/2014 at 23:58:57

Elgin Echo, Thursday, 26 November 1908.

James Murray, an eccentric character at Decorah, went to bed with a lighted pipe in his mouth Wednesday night. He fell asleep, a spark from his pipe set fire to his bed, burning him to death and consuming the house.

Added by Joy Moore June 13, 2019

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Nov. 27, 1908, LP, C5

Decorah Man Cremated.
The home of James Murray at Decorah was gutted by fire and Murray was burned to death. The fire is supposed to have originated from the dead man's carelessness. He had been in the habit of smoking after retiring and it is thought sparks from his pipe ignited the bedding and then fired the house.

Source: Decorah Republican Nov. 19, 1908, P3 C4

JAMES MURRAY BURNS TO DEATH
CARELESS SMOKING SUPPOSED TO HAVE FIRED HIS BED.
His House Gutted by Flames and His Body Falls Through Floor.
Between one and two o’clock this morning fire completely gutted the interior of James Murray’s house and “Jimmy” as he was familiarly known, was burned to death. How the fire started is a matter of conjecture. An overturned lamp or careless smoking while in bed are ascribed as the cause, as the fire is said to have started in his bed. Murray slept upstairs and his nephew’s wife, Mrs. Geo. Murray, and her children slept down stairs. George Murray is working at the power dam and was absent. Mrs. Murray is quite deaf so that no sound aroused her. It was not until she was nearly suffocated with smoke that she roused up and escaped from the house with her children.
An alarm was sounded but because of distance from the fire houses the department did not arrive in time to save anything but the shell of the house.
Murray’s body was found on the first floor, practically nothing but the bones remaining. It is evident that it had fallen when the second floor burned through. Deceased was well known both in Decorah and throughout the county. For many years he followed the occupation of caring for lawns but had to give it up during the past fall on account of poor health. His wife died about nine months ago, and there are no children.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows he was born in 1836 and died Nov. 19, 1908. He is buried in St. Benedict Cemetery.