Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-12-06

The following sddiitional particulars OF
the death OF the sisieF Of John G. McLain
We CLEAN rom De Unisnville tMo.)
RepHblicdn:
On Wednesday, Mr.. Huston had occas-
ion to visit his farm in Jackson township,
taking with him his two oldest boys, Will
and Louis, expecting IN be absent until
the following day. Mrs. Huston remain
ed at home with her Sons, James, aged
eleven, Homer, AGED six.1snd Charley,
aged two years. shortly sfter dark, Mrs.
Huston covered up the fire in the FIRE
place in the sitting room, and with the
three little boys, retired TO their sleeping
room in the second story OF the building.
They had been asleep but a short time,
when Mrs. Huston discovered that the
building was on fire, and calling James,
they went down stairs, and upon opening
the door 70 the sitting Eqom, the flames
setting her night clothes on fire. The
flames also enveloped the boy, burning
him terribly, and in his agony and fright,
he fled up stairs and got into bed again.
He says that when his mother came up
stairs. her clothes were on fire, and she
told him to jump out of the window and
she would throw Charley to him. The
boy obeyed, and caught his baby brother
in his arms as his mother dropped him
| from the window. She then attempted to
save her little boy Homer, but before she
could again reach the window, she stag
gered and tell, doubtless overcome by the
smoke and heat. In the meantime, Mr..
Geo. Patrick and his two SONS, who were
the first to discover the fire, reached the
burning building, and found the two chill
dren standing in the road, with only their
night clothes on, calling piteously for their
mother. The boy James was terribly
burned about the face and hands, and also
about his legs below where they we're COW
cred by his shirt. The little baby's left
hand was also badly burned, but beyond q
few other slight burns, he was uniniured.
With timely forethought, Mr.. Patrick in
structed his sons to take the little suffer-
ers to his home, and the boys promptly
pulled off their coats and wrapping them
about the shivefing and naked bodies of
the children, soon had them sheltered, and
were on their way for medical assistance.
Other neighbors soon arrived at the fire,
but were powerless to stay the flames,
which had already enveloped every por-
tion of the building. Gradually. the
flames died down, and q sight presented
itself that sent chill of horror into every
heart. Down IN the cellar, imbedded in q
mass of fiery embers, lay the charred and
dis6gured remains of her, who hut few
short minutes before, out OF the fullness
of her mother-love, had faced death in its
most appalling form In her efforts to res
cue one of her darlings, and by her side,
the little one for whom she had sacrificed
her litc. A messenger had been dispatch
ed for Mr.. Huston, who arrived shortly
after midnight. only to find death and
ruin where but few short hours before,
all had been peace and happiness. Kind
hearted neighbors did all in their power
to tighten his grief and comfort his mother
less children, but to little avail for the
loss had driven all of them nearly wild
Brumbaugh dressed the burns OF the two
children, and for time'it seemed as If
there were but little chance for the recov-
cry of the Oldest Of the two, but he is i'm
proving at latest reports and unless some
unforeseen complication arises, will doubt
less recover. AS to the origin of the fire,
the most plausible theory is, that it origin
ated from spark from the fire place,
swapping out upon the floor and setting
it on fire. AS soon as the ruins had suf-
fciently cooled to permit oftheir removal,
the charred remains were taken out and
placed in casket and taken to the resi-
dence of Mr.. L. w. Conger. On Friday,
the Rev. d. A. Wilson, Of Milan, conduct
ed most impressive funeral service over
the remains at the Presbyterian Charch
in this city, after which they were con-
| signed to their last earthly resting place
in the cemetery. Mrs. Huston was a
most estimable woman loved and respect
ed by all who knew her, and the terrible
disaster has cast a gloom over many house
holds in our country.