People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1893 — BURNED TO DEATH. [ARTICLE]

BURNED TO DEATH.

roar Children In Michigan, Left Alone by Their Parent*, Perish bjr Fire Poor Live* Lost in Kansas City. Bellaire. Mich., Feb. B.—The house of Oliver Pattie, 8 miles north of town, burned to the ground Monday night Three children were roasted to death. Their ages were, respectively, 12, 10 and 6. A neighbor’s boy, Taylor by name, had been playing with the children, and it is feared that he was burned too. Neighbors saw the light at 10 o’clock and hurried to the rescue, but were too late to do any good. All the children were in the house alone. The father works nights in a Bellaire factory. The mother was away preaching, it is said. She is an enthusiastic adherent of a sect called the “Groverites,” which flourishes in this community, and mnch of her time is spent elucidating their doctrines. Friendly neighbors at once offered their services in hunting for the dead bodies. The bodies were charred almost beyond recognition and there were evidences of a frightful struggle with the flames. The grief of the father was pitiful in the extreme. It is supposed that the fire started while the children were asleep and they were unable, either through fear or ou account of locked doors, to make their escape. Ludington, Mich., Feb. B.—Capt. ! Wilson of the life-saving crew at Point ! Sauble came to this city Tuesday on : foot, the roads all being blocked up with i snow. He reports the burning of the | house of Ernest Bockus, a rfelideht of | Lincoln, 3 miles north of here, Sunday night. In the fire one of the Bockus boys was roasted to death, while another had a narrow escape from a like fate. The children had lieen left alone by their parents. Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 8. —Four | lives were lost Tuesday night in a fire ]in the negro quarter. The fire department was called to 1210 West Eighth street at 12:45 a. m. and found a small cabin on fire. The cabin was occupied by Stephen James and famI ily. When the firemen arrived there Stephen James was just making his escape. He was so badly burned that he became unconscious soon after getting out of the house. The firemen rushed in : and dragged out Mrs. James, who was ■ fatally burned and died shortly afterI ward. The bodies of Emma and Arthur ! James, aged respectively 8 and 10 years, and Joe MitcheUi, a nephew of James, were afterward found in the ruins.