The Columbian fountain., 1846-10-05
TEMPERANCE ITEMS.
From the Toronto Colonist.
DREADFUL OCCURENt T..

EVIL EFFECTS OF DRUHKENNEss,-A.. de
structve fire and the loss OF life occurred al
Markham, the 2nd concession, on the 9Th INST,
The dwelling house OF Mr.. ID. Leake; high
ly respectable farmer, burst into flames about
2 O'Clock that morning Two young men hlr-
ed by Mr. Leake, and sleeping up stairs, Viii
liam Atkinson and Thomas Buxton, were a.
reused and perceived a great light, without
knowing whence il proceeded. Without wait
ing 10 cloihe themselves they ran down stairs,
and there found John Miller, a son Of Mrs.
Leake by former husband, lying in a drunk
ken sumber, across the threshold which divi-
ded the kitchen from The pantry. A candle
was still burning between Two Of the pantry
shelves, and had fred the upper one, whence
the flames had caught the shingles of the roof
above.
Two yonng men dragged him into the open
air, and their next care was 10 save the lives OF
their old master and mistress, and of "a female
servant, which from the rapid progress of the
fire they had some difficulty in doing. Atkin-
son appeared then TO be bent on saving some
OF his own property as he ran back 10 their
bedroom; Buxton followed, with view of
assisting. He saw Atkinson enter the room
and the door close after him; he opened the
door, TO facilitate his return, and was much
burnt by the flames which rushed out. Per
ceiving the stairs on fire below him, and fan
ewing he had heard Atkinson run 10 the win
dow, lie then attended to his own safety by
descending, and went around to the window,
in hopes Of finding that Atkinson had escaped
by that way: there was, however, no appear
ance Of him, and the fury OF the confagrallon
rendered all thoughts OF assisting him vain.
The dwellin4 house, framed, large dry
ing house, and 25 cords Of wood piled close
by were consumed in an incredible short
space of time. Mr.. Leake's loss is estimated
at $4,000. 1t was not until O'Clock in The
morning that the neighbors, by throwing wa
ter on the ashes where they expected TO find
something of poor Atkinson, could alIav the
heat sufficiently TO search for him. Moth
ing remained of him but blackened portion
of the upper part Of his body; the rest, with
the head and limbs, had left no vestage save
few small fragments of calcined bones which
were afterwards discovered. Miller, during
the early part of the conf1agralion, crept back
on his hands and knees into the cellar, una
bic TO walk. whence he was dragged. with
some additional burns; bottle of grog stick
ing from his pocket was indignantly plucked
out and thrown away by one of the neigbors,
amid Miller's curses and imprecaions.
He is about fifty years old, and though
possessed Of considerable, land, is without any
fixed home, being notorious haunter oftav-
ens. II appears that his stepiather had for
hidden his longer resort to his house but
Mrs. Leake with natural indulgence, had been
accus toned 10 leave a candle for him on the
kitchen table, with some provisions, which
he, returning when the family had retired to
rest, partook ofand stole upto the bed prepared
for him; this plan had been followed for
months preceding. 1t seems that on this un-
fortunate occasion, the victuals not having
been set out, he went into the pantry for the
purpose ofhelping himself, and the demon
OF drunkenness employed his hand to immo-
late valued and useful life, and the prop
erty of his own best and dearest friends.