Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-11-21
ALMOST A SERIOUS AFFAIR.
j. D. stuckey's Fine Residence
on Fire.
a LITTLE oH1LD.s LIFE IN PERIL.

past seven O'Clock, the bell sounded the
alarm of fire, and soon it was ascertained
that the large and magnificent residence
of Mr.. J. D. Stuckey, was on fire, and that
one of the children was in that part of
the building on fire. The house is situa-
ted near the corporate limits, across the
iron bridge, on the jamestown pike. The
great distance, and the condition of the
streets from n continuous rain before and
at the time, seemed TO defy all hope of
saving either life or building; but those
of our citizens who are always ready and
at the front in any emergency, as willing
to help save the property of others as that
of their own, needed not the darkness,
rain or mud. but were soon at the house
doing valiant service amid the fire and
smoke The fire was found to be conffn-
ed to the family sleeping room, in the
front and second story, and originated
in press and wardrobe, which had been
fired and the door of the same closed,
thus confining the fire within it and the
room until help arrived, when water was
carried to the room, now suffocating with
heat and smoke, by men who would en-
OCA b4iC Aul tldCCJ IL hSiOS AOAN IAANtA
breath, dash the water into the burning
mass, and then stagger, almost ready to
drop, into the adjoining room. This mode
of warfare was kept up until the fire was
subdued, when the Babcock was turned
on and the house was saved. The Fire
Department, with all the apparatus, were
promptly on the ground under the direc-
ton of Chief Updegrove and his subordi-
mates. The Steamer was kept in readi
hose laid to the house, in the event of it
being needed.
Mrs. Stuckey went to Circleville on the
morning train to attend the funeral of
Mr.. Robert PEBBLES, and returned on the
evening train. Mr.. S. met her at the de-
pot, and from there they went to Music
Hall to attend the lecture of Wendell
Phillips. They had been in the hall but
few minutes when some one came in and
said there was big fire up town. Mr.. s..
went out to see where it was, and learned
that it was his own house. His first
thoughts were for the safety of his three
little daughters, who were left at home
in the care of girl employed in the fam
lily, and without returning to inform his
wife, jumped into carriage and was
driven as rapidly as possible to his house
to find it besieged with men and the yard
blockaded with fire-extinguishing appa-
tIs. just before or about the time he ar
rived the child was found, safe, covered
up in bed in Il room some distance from
the one on fire, where it had fled.
As to the origin of the fire, the girl
says she was washing the supper dishes,
when Grace, the child in question, about
four years of age, slipped off from the
other two and went up stairs to the fam
lily room where the children slept. A fire
was burning in the CRATE, in this room,
and Grace says she put a newspaper over
the wire fender Ito make the fire roar, it
is supposedly when it caught fire; then
she put the paper and fire in the wardrobe
and closed the door to putthe smoke out, -
she says. She then got in bed in the same
room, covered up her head and lay there
until frightened by the fire and smoke
she fed from the room, closing the door
after her, and took refuge in the room
where she was found safe and sound, as
SLdlCO dboFOS 1AGC4 GAlC III 70 " dS ONCIS
When the girl discovered the room on
fire land supposing of course the child was
in it, living or dead, she was almost fran
tic, and tried to enter the room; but all
the doors and windows of the room hav-
ing been closed, the room was almost air
, tight, and the condensed and confined
heat forced her back at each attempt, and
frightened almost to death in regard tC
| the fate of the child, she ran with the
two older children some distance to the
: residence of Mr.. D. I. WorthingtOn and
: gave the alarm. Mr.. W. together with
| his hired man, Nick Escue, hurried tc
the house, hoping only to save the child
l Mrs. Elizabeth Millikan, Mrs. Stuckey'E
= mother, who had been alarmed from hel
e residence close by, was aiding Nj. w. al
e she could. They tried to enter the room
e by the door, but were compelled to clos
4 it again-the heat and smoke were
Y sitting. Mr.. w. then went some dis
e tance, procured a ladder and placed it vi
j, to the window of the room, and going up
e tried to break the heavy plate-glass will
i his hands, but failing in the attempt, Mrs
e NJ. got smoothing-iron, by the aid o
= which he broke in the glass, cutting hi
}, hand severely in doing so. The confinet
e heat and smoke now at liberty, shot thro
+ the broken sash with a whistling noise
+ throwing the sash up, and almost forcin;
5. Mr.. w. from the ladder. He finally sue
If ceeded i'll getting into the room, and
1t gropingIy, searched in vain for the child
i but the child was neither in nor unde
f. the bed, and he was forced to the outside
is almost suffocated, and dispatched Mic
at over to town to give the alarm. Coul
IL the fire have got ventilation, the child, i
- all probability, would have lost its lift
st and the house destroyed, before aid frol
town could have been of any avail Mr.
S. knew not that it was her house on fiji
N' until informed of the fact after the lectur
ic The press and wardrobe contained tt
greater part of the family clothing, quill
Id and blankets, valuable papers, and innu
ed merale articles and things of value, ,whic
s. cannot easily be replaced. The house ar
of furniture were fully insured. Taking a
ne together, it was miraculous escape
'e, both life and property.
Nv The firemen are deserving of credit f
wv their very considerate action at the hou
that of guarding and preserving pro
e. erty.
IS; -'s'---
ed First National Bank of Xenta.
,e- A Xenia special to the Cincinnati Gaze
T of Monday, says: The attention of t
70 Common Pleas Court this week is occ
.tb pied with the case of the State of OF
A. VS.. John B. Allen, charged with embt
or element. There are ten different indi