The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-17
BuRIEO UNDER A STRAW STACK.
The Sad Accident Which Happened to
Three Little Girls on q Missouri Farm.

The Sad Accident Which Happened to
Three Little Girls on a Missouri Farm.
A recent issue of the Sedalia (Mo.)
Democrat has the following particulars
of sad accident:
Mr.. Francis Stotts and Mr.. George
Yeater live one mile north Of this city,
on the Longwood road. A lane separ-
ates their farms, and their dwellings
are not more than three hundred yards
apart.
On Saturday evening Maggie Stotts,
little girl of nine, asked permission,
which was granted, to 60 over and
play with Mr.. Yeater's little girls, Dora
aid Birdie, aged respectively eight and
ten.
The three little girls went out to a
straw stack short distance from Mr..
Yeater's house to play. The cattle had
eaten some distance into the stacks, and
the place thus created was used RS
play house. While the children were
thus innocently engaged, without warn
ing, the stack toppled over on them;
Maggie Stotts saw it coming and
sprang to get out, but was caught and
crushed to the earth on her face. Fortu-
nately for the little Yeater girls they
were sitting close against the breast
where the straw was eaten away. and
this prevented them from sharing the
fate of little Maggie. who only spoke
once, and that was to say" Girls, pull
me to YOU" Nobly did the two little
sisters try to comply with the request.
They pulled and tugged at little Maggie
until they ore nearly all her clothes
off, but it was of no avail. She strug-
gled to free herself from her position,
but suhocation soon did the work for
her, and wien she ceased to struggle
little Dora and Birdie knew she was
dead, and talked about their time COM
ing next. They sat in their cramped
and uncomfortable position for what
seemed to them like an age. Their
supply of air was becoming exhausted
and their breathing difficult. Death was
sic wly creeping over them when Birdie
sud to her sister: 1--WE are going to
die, Dora; let's pail our shoes off," And
she actually went to work and unlaced
her shoes.
The children had been under the stack
about an hour and b half, when their
prolonged absence was observed. Mrs.
Yeater called them, but there was no
response. Supposing they had gone
over to Mr.. Stotts' house with Maggie,
messenger was sent there. but re-
turned with the word that they were
not there. A consultation was held,
when Mr.. Darius Prickett, one of Mr..
Yeaer's tenants, made the announce
ment. which struck terror to the souls
Of all present, that the straw stack had
fallen over. 1t was remembered that
the last seen of them they were playing
under the stack. All rushed for the
stack, and never did human beings
make greater eXertions. Mr.. Prickett
seemed endowed with superhuman
strength. Both Mr.. Teater's and Mr..
Stotts' families were now present, all
fearing the worst, but working with all
their might and power.
Finally the voices of the little on e
were heard in their living tomb, and
the hopes of all were Frightened and
their efforts redoubled. Dora and
Birdie were found first and taken out
more dead than alive. Hope sank in
the hearts of the Stotts family when
Masg gle was not found with her play
mates, bnt her body was soon reached
and seized by her almost frantic father,
but life had departed. The escene which
then ensued was painful in the extreme:
1t was now dark, and the half-crazei
father ran home with his dead child in
his arms. followed by his shricking
family. He would press his darling to
his bosom and try to impart warmth to
her cold body. but all in vain. He
could not be induced to give up the
corpse, but he walked the floor all night
with it in his arms.
Itwas no wonder the father and other
members of the family refused to be
comforted, for purer, sweeter or more
intelligent child than Maggie was never
created. She was the idol of her par
ents, brothers and sisters, and beloved
By all who knew her.
The funeral took place from MIR.
Stotts' farm residence. The scene at
the grave was an affecting one, and it
was with difficulty that Mr.. Stotts was
prevented from throwing himself in the
grave. Mrs. Stotts is completely pros
trated by the terrible shock.