National Republican., 1880-11-06
DEATH IN THE FLAMES.
A Tragedy Which Shocked Capitol Hill
Last Night.
Two Children Left Alone at Home by Their
Parents burned to Death In an
Incendiary Fire.
A Horror In East Washington.

A shocking tragedy occurred on Capitol hill
last night just Us the good people of that sec
ton of the city wcro going to bed. James
Young. colorcd hucksior, has b,cn living
with his wife and two children in a two.story
frame house, owned by Mrs. McCubbin, at
No. l3 Eighth street southeast. Last evening
at o'clock Young and his wife left the house
to attend meeting Mt Mount Jezrcll Baptist
church, on Seventh street, between G aud ]
southeast The two children, a boy named
John Henry, seven years Of age, aud girl
named Mary, four years Of nge, were left in
the house, sleeping in Il bed in the upper.story
front room. few minutes before 10 o'clock
ncighbors discovered that the house was aBrc
and in short time an alarm was turned IN from
box 512, which brought not only tho Gre dc.
partmemt aud police, but all the residents OF
the neigh6orhood promptly to tho place. The
flames made rapid headway In the house,
which was mere shell, aud the structure
seemed to be nothing but a mass Of fire when
the report was started that the two children
were In the house. Chief Cronin taking
Privates William Luskey aud John Lane,
Immediately made his way to the second
story by means of a ladder, and passed through
the window. They quickly reappeared,
bearing tho charrcd remains Of the two
children. Tho house was completely guttcd
by the lamcs, it requiring the expert exami-
nation OF Chief Cronn to hazard any theory
as to the origin of the fire. Soon after the
hfc was discovered q messenger WIS s,nt to
the church after Mr.. aud Mrs. Young. They
did not arrive on tho ground until after the
remains OF the children had been
removed to the eighth precinct sta.
tion'house. The mother, who was wild
with grief was taken into ncighboring house,
aud her agonzcd screams only added to the
excitement that prevailed around the burning
house. IL was first reported that the fire had
been caused by the explosion of a coal.oi
lamp in room adjoining that in which the
children slept. This theory, however, was
not sustained by the statements of Young aud
his wife and the examination made by Chief.
Engineer Cronin after tho fire had been ex.
tinsuished. The mother stated that there
was no lamp on tho same floor with the chill.
drcn, and she extiuguishcd the lamp down
stairs aud left 1t on the mautcl In the front
room before going TO church. The cooking
stove Is in little shed or summer kitchen
in the rear of the house, and there was no
fire in this stove, no fuel having been put im
II since breakfast time. In the back room OH
the ground floor was a little hcating.stove
but there was no fire in this. Chief Cronin
found evidences that the fire had originated in
this back room. A hole was burned through
the north wall OF the house. Between this
house and its ncighbor on the north is a little
passage, or alley, large enough for man to
pass bhlOuEus luo CONCLUSION arrived NL by
Chief Cronin and Lieutonant Boteler of tho
eighth precinct is that the house was set afre
The incendiary passed into this alley and ap.
piled the fire to the house through some
crevice. The flames passing up between the
clap'boarding and tho lathng, spread
through the upper part of the house.
The children in bed In the front room
were, 1t is supposed, killed by sufIo-
cation before the flames reached them.
They wero found clasped iu each others arms
lying Oh tho burned fragments Of the bed,
having made no effort 10 escape their doom.
There is 4 possibility that some spark from
tho stove had smuuldered all day long be-
tween the lathing and tho boarding aud broke
out In flames at night. The conclusion that
the fire was the work of some incendiary
upon whom rests the responsibility of the
murder Of the two children, appears to be the
most reasonable. An inquest will be held at
the eighth precinct police station to-day OH
the remains Of the children.