The Osceola times., 1880-03-06
DEAD IN A STRAW STACK.
A Playhouse Converted Into "A Tomb.
Three Children Caught--One Killed
and the Other Two Saved.
Sedalia Democrat.

Sedalia Democrat.
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 houses are
not more than 800 yards apart.
Gin Saturday evening Maggie Stotts,
little girl of nine, asked permissl IN,
which was granted, to 90 over and play
with Mr.. Yeater's little girls, Dora and
Birdie, aged respectively eight and ten.
The three little girls went out to
straw stack, short distance from Mr.
Yeater's house, to play. The cattle had
eaten some distance into the stacks, and
the space thus created was used as
playhouse. While the children were
thus innocently engaged, without warn.
ing, the stack tSpplcd over on them.
Maggie Stotts saw it coming, and sprang
to get out, but was caught and crushed
to the earth on her face. Fortunately
for the little Ieater girls they were sit.
ting close against the breast where the
straw had been eaten away, ana 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 tngged at little Maggie until they
tore nearly all her clothes oil, but il was
Of no avail. She struggled to free her.
self from her position, but suiiOcation
soon did the work for her, and when she
ceased to struggle little Dora ard Birdie
knew she was dead, and talked about
their turn coming next They sat in
their cramped and uncomfortable posi-.
ton for what seemed 10 them like an
age. Their supply of air was becoming
exhausted and their breathing difficult
Death was slowly creeping over them
when Birdie said to her sister, I'VE are
going to die, Dora; let's pull our shoes
off," And she actually went 10 work
and unlaced her shoes.
The children had been under the stack
about an hour and half when their pro-
longed absence wrs Observed Mr.. Yea.
ter called them, but there was no res
ponse. Supposing they had gone oytrto
Mrs. Stotts house with little Maggie. a
messenger was sent there, but returned
with the word that they were not there
| A consultation was held, when Mr.. la.
| rius Prickctt, one of Mr.. Geater's tenants,
made the announcement which struck
terror to the souls Of all present, that the
straw stack had fallen over! Ii was re.
membered thai the last seen of them
| they were playing under the stack. All
! rushed for the stack and never did hu.
man beings make greater eXertiOns. Mr..
| Prickett seemed endowed with superhu-
man strength. Both Mr. Geater's and
| Mr.. Stott's families were now there, all
| fearing the worst, and working with all
their might and power.
Finally the voices of the little ones
were heard in their living tomb, and
| the hopes of all were frightened and
| their efforts redOublcd. Dora and Bir-
| die were found first, and taken out more
dead than alive. Hope sank in the
hearts of the Stotts family when Maggie
was not found with her playmates, but
| her body was soon reached and seized
| by her almost frantic father, but life
| had departed. The scene which then
cnsued was painful in the extreme. It
was now dark, and the half-crazod father
ran home with his dead child in his
arms, followed by his shrieking family.
lie 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 toe corpse, but walk
cd the floor all night with il clasped in
his arms,
II was no wonder that the father and
! other members of the family refused 10
be comforted, for a purer, swectcr, or
more intelligent, child than Maggie was
never created. She was the idol Of her
parents, brothers and sisters, and be
loved by all who knew her.
The funeral took place from Mr. Stot!'s
farm residence on Monday at tee O'Clock,
after which the remains were followed
to the family burying grounds on Mr.
Stott's old place, in the Cheatham neigh
borhood, eight miles north of this city.
The scene at the grave was an affecting
one, and it was with difficulty that Mr.
Stotts was prevented from thaowing
himself in the grave. Mrs Stotts Is
completely prostrated by the terrible
shock