DIES FOR HIS OWNER
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Dog Rouses Family Asleep in
Burning House Only to
Perish in Flames
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BURGLARS STARTED FIRE
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Store and Dwelling
Destroyed,
Will Erect Gravestone
for Faithful Animal
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Kaiser Wilhelm's devotion and
loyalty to his master, D. E. Koontz in saving the Koontz family from being
burned to death, and chasing a burglar responsible for the fire, cost him his
life at 3:51 a. m. today. Kaiser Wilhelm was only a dog, but his heroic
death will be made the occasion of the erection of a grave stone marker, on
which will be inscribed a memorial. The faithful watchdog's playmate and
companion, an Angora cat, valued at $25, saved its life by jumping from the
second-story window.
Koontz, three weeks ago, rented the two-story
frame store and residence building at East Thirty-ninth and
Eureka streets, and after installing his family in the rooms
over the store, opened a grocery.
Shortly before 3:51 a. m. today Koontz and
his wife were roused from their slumber by the barking of the
watchdog, which had been left in the store to guard against
burglars. They found their room filled with smoke and were
almost suffocated. Groping his way to the stairway Koontz
heard the sound of breaking glass and the noise of
footfalls. By the time he reached the store front the
interior was ablaze. The faithful watchdog was not in
sight, and the fire was so hot that Koontz dared not
enter. While he was seeking to rouse his neighbors, a
newsboy saw the flames and turned in an alarm to engine company
14 at East-fourth street and Central avenue.
The company laid 1,000 feet of hose and then
discovered the hose lacked 600 feet of reaching the fire. Hose company 3 was called out, and with its hose the first water
was turned on the fire. Patrolman Thornton turned in an
alarm from East Forty-fourth street and Central avenue, and this
called engine company 7. Despite the efforts of the three
companies, Koontz's grocery and household effects were destroyed
by fire and water, entailing a loss of $1,500. He carried
$1,000. insurance. After the embers had cooled Koontz and
Patrolman "Jack" Walsh of the University substation
investigated the fire, and climbing over the debris in the
storeroom, found the body of Kaiser Wilhelm. The fire had
started in the corner where Koontz kept his stock of matches,
and near by was found the cash drawer, broken and lying on the
floor. The contents, $8 in small change, was missing.
This was the second fire during the night
that was directly traceable to the work of burglars. The
first fire was at the home of C. P. Stewart, 3125 South Union
avenue, where the fire damage amounted to $1,000.
Explosion of a lamp in the shoe shop at 1509
West Seventh street early last evening caused a damage of $1,000
to the shop and the residence overhead.
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