The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-10-04
Frank Gibbons Four Children
Roasted Alive this
Morning.
Only the Gentleman and His
Wife Escaped from the
Building.
They Lost all Of their Wearing
Apparel and Household
Effects,
And for the Time Being are De.
pendent Upon a Generous
Public

today Not only docs she suffer untold
grief over the death and burial of the late
! President Garfield. but right in her midst
did one family suffer affection this morn
ing that calls Tor sympathy from every
resident oi the Queen city Of the prairies
Al a lew minutes after five o'clock Tiff
morning the fire alarm was sounded, and
notwithstanding the early hour. ii was but
a short time until the fire department boy,
were on their way la the residence of Mr.
/ Frank Gibbons, who resided i'm Il Que
and onc-half story frame house OH
West Fifth Street. On arriving there
the building was discovered to be all in i
blaze, and il was instantly perceived that
the structure was doomed To destruction.
No water main is laid on Fifth street. be-
yond Kentucky, and the only hope of saw
ing the building. was through the exer-
lions of hastily organized bucket bri
yade. But water WAS rmarkablv scarce,
even for this purpose, and the worst fears
were entertained.
Soon, however. the excitement reached
fever heat on learning that four children
were in the second story of the builiing.
sleeping. and "f course was not aware oi
the great danger that was upon them
Mr.. Gibbons made every exertiun
To- gain an entrance through a
window. injuring himself in the attempt
but the fierce flames caused him To desist.
and he was compelled To stand by and
witness the roasting alive of his four
children.
Mrs Gibbons occupied a room on the
ground floor, and escaped without injury,
but lost all OF her apparel, with the ex-
cepiion of her night clothing. When she
stepped from her Room and realized the
true situation, her grief was something
terrible 10 witness, and caused tears to
flow from MANY an eve.
\ BAZoo representative was ON the
scene short time after the calamity, and
had a brief talk with Mr.. Gibbons. who
Was temporarily stopping at the home Of a
neighbor. He was III overcome with
grief that il was with difficulty that he
conld relate his story, which was about a
follows:
At about five o'clock he arose and built
4 fire in the cooking stove. leaving his
wife sleeping in the front room, while his
children occupied the room above. He
then stepped to an clubhouse, and was gone
but lew minutes On returning, the
building was seething mass oi flames,
and he had barely time To arouse his wife.
lie attempted to rescue his children. but
the fire spread with such rapidiiv that he
found il impossible io do so. lie thinks
1 at fire originated from Goals falling among
some shavings under the stove
The following are the names and
ages of the children who persisted
Eva, aged ten wears.
4 son named Della, aged eight years.
Sylvia, aged six wears
Daisy, aged three wears.
The bodies were burned to a crisp and
were almost wholly unrccognizabie. !
A. soon a. possible the debris was cleared
up and what remained oi the four little |
ones was removed To- the undertaking es-
of J. q. Lc,ure. where .hev /
we're viewed by those who cared To gaze (.
upon such a spectacle.
Coroner King was notified and il was 4
decided 10 hold IN inquest later i'm the 1
Law.
Mr.. Gibbons has resided i'm Sedalia |
about three years. wor hing at the carpen-
or business. lie stands high I'm the COM
nunity, and he and his wife will have the
of all Scdalians i'm their allie
ion.
He places his loss at six hundred dollars
IN house and furniture, ON which ne holds
m insurance of four hundred dollars.
not a dollars worth was saved, and Tor a
lime they should receive was ONLY sym-
'athv, bat assistance, from our people
Mrs. Gibbons is partially deaf. and had
not been for the timely aid of her hus-
and, she, too, would undoubtedly met
fate similar Ia her children.
At ten o'clock Coroner King had jury
mpannelcd, and held an inquest over the
cad bodies. The following is the testi-
lony:
Francis VI. Gibbon:-I live OH West
fifth street in Sedalia, No. and am car
enter by occupation. The house that
wed in was in the shape of L, the main
uilding being l2x22 feet and the other ;
welve feet square. the small building be- ,
NJ built of from the center Of the main
ullding, constituting the body of the L.
n this main building there were two
ocms below and two above. the rooms ,
hove being reached bv 4 stairway from
nc small room. The small room was
scd a. a kitchen. There were shavings
nder the stairway in the Kitchen. and the .
love stood ia the angie al the stairway. Nv
,mily all went to bc,lcarly last night. The ,
tile girls, Eva, Sylvia and Daisy ,
ept together in the south room up stairs. !
he boy Della Holmes slept i'm the north
,om. Myself and wife slept in the south ;
nom in the main building below. All of ,
az children except The boy went To bed !.
cry early. | retired some time before NV
lie did. | think she went Ia bed before 9 | !
clock. awoke about daylight this ,
lorning. got up and built a fire i'm the :,
owe and put on the tea kettle :i,d coffee
nt and went To the privy While | was =
, the privy heard my wife scream. | .
'oked out and saw that the house was i'm
lmes. The kitchen was on fire, and it S
a. making its Wv To the main building.
ran up TO the south end. climbed ON
he window below and broke in the
indow To the sout room, where our three
tile girls were sleeping. The smoke and S
eai met me and strangled me. halloed g