The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-14
A MOTHERS HERoIsN.
Burned to Death In the Presence Of nel
Husband and Children.

a special dispatch from Frederick, Nd.
dated yesterday, says; Today, shortly al,
ter midnight, the home OF Mr.. Simon Gro
niss on the road leading from New Market
70 Mount Pleasant, and about mile west
OF the hrst'named town, Was DESTROYED by
Ire, together with his wife and one OF his
children, and al! else that tue house con.
famed. Mr.. ~ronise is planter and, with
his family, retired last night at about 9
O'Clock, leaving roaring tire in the kitcheu
stove, around which a quantity OF wood
had been packed for use in the morning as
usual
About midnight Mr.. Cronise and his
VIE, who slept on the second story, were
awakened by the smell OF smoke. The
mouse was two-story 'old-time Lighthouse,
out OF good dimensions, A single stairway
LED rom the lower To the upper story. On
the second floor there slept, besides Mr.. and
Mrs. Cronlse, their seven children, the
eldest 10 and the youngest >, and an Old
deaf and dHmb man named Henry Plum.
Der Upon awakening Mr.. Cronise rushed
down the stairway, and opening the door
was met by perfect sheet of flame. He
realized the position of those dependent
upon hlm at once, and, closing the door,
directed his wife to smash one of the sew
eral small windows (abOut sixteen by
twenty inches, and let the smoke escape.
The children, who were all partially suf.
located, were helped by their parents
through the windows, the eldest dropping
TO the ground fifteen feet below. Then the
turn of the little ones came.
Mrs. CrOnise told her husband to Jump
from the window, and she would drop the
younger children down TO him, and would
then follow. Mr.. CrOnise did as requested
"a 4. Il
their fathers arms but one, q tiye-year.od
girl, whom her mother had in her arms,
and was just in the act of putting out
through the window. Then, like flash,
the old deaf and dumb man darted between
them and the window, and getting hall
way out, hung there in his terror, unable
to move, and blocking the window from the
brave mother and child
Tue husband and children below in safety
ga2ed upon the terrible scene, benumbe d
in their night clothes by the furious winds.
and almost petrilied by terror for Mrs,
Cionse could not reach any other window.
She wildly beat the terrified old man upon
the hands to make him leave his position
and drop to the ground below, so that she
might save herself and her child. Those
below shrleked to the old man to drop, but
he could not hear, and still hung and
uIpthCh NllN NlhuON, lCTTOT STRICKEN.
The poor woman tore at him madly, but
to no purpose, for u few moments later she
sank out of her husbands and children's
sight into the flames behind her her child
clasped TO her bosom. A moment later
they licked the old mans erms, face and
chest and shriyeled his gray hair, when he
seemed to come to life and dropped to the
ground.
When his wife and child sank back in The
flames MIR. Cronise made rush for the
house, which was then tumb.ing in, and il
took the united efforts OF his elder boys to
save him from perishing with her
By THIS time few neighbors
were arriving, one of whom, Eliza
Hutchinson, colored, took the family, who
were almost naked, to her house across the
hills and provided them with nourishment
aud clothing.
AS soon as daylight came search was
made through the ashes for the remains OF
the lost, and they were touad and taken to
the residence of Mr.. Charles Woods, where
the family are domiciled for the present.
But few charred fragments were recovered
ana placed in small pine box.
The scene has been visited by hundreds o
people from the surrounding country dur
ing the day, and many more will probably
attend the funeral, which takes place to
morrow.