St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-29
A GENUINE HERO.
C. p. Maginnis, OF Morris, Risked |
His own Life to Save the Burning |


C. p. Maginnis, OF Morris, Risked
His own Life to Save the Burning
Victims.
All the passengers who spoke Of the dis
aster last night were loud in their praises
of g. P. Maginnis, of Morris. Mimi, who.
they say, should be called the hero of the
wreck. He was at the Merchants hotel
last night, wearing new suit of clothes
throughout. for his old ones were burned in
one of the sleeping cars. MI. MaglnniS
is brother of Hon. Martin Maginns. dele
gate in congress from Montana, whom he
resembles in build and somewhat in his
features. He is well-built man, medium
height, and has the air of rustler. When
he is in Morris he is sheriff of his county,
Is chief of the fire department of that place,
and a man of nerve and indomitable energy.
His honest-loOking face was red last night,
for in his heroic efforts to save Mrs.
Shearer the flames had famed him and
scorched his eyebrows. His hands were
somewhat burned. He was the first pas
senger to reach the burning car. and after
saving the two children he entered the cal
and tried to drag from under the broken
seats two or three women, but could not do
it, and abandoned the car only when the
flames drove him away. He was very
modest in giving his story of the disaster to
GLOBE reporter last night
Al was awakened by what seemed to be
three iolts." said he, land l jumped from
my berth, and with nothing on but my under
clothes ran to the front door of the car.
heard some one say, For Gods sake, come
and help save these people who are burning
to death | repeated the remark. and ran
from the rear of the car and around to where
the day-coach lay. A woman cried through
the window. My name is Shearer. and my
home is in Winona. Take my chill
dren. Their father is living Those were
THE LAST WORDS
she ever spoke. l took one child, a little girl
about years old, and in the car lying on
seat opposite the mother 1 found baby,
which | took outside. / took hold of
Mrs. Shearer and was trying to pull
her out, when her dress took fire. The flame
burned it rapidly and all at once leaped to her
hair which il burned in an instant, and the
flame from which flashed across my face.
burning it little, but it's nothing serious
There was large woman whom we tried to
remove from where she was, but could not,
and we had to see her burn to death, stand
ing W thin few feet of where she was.
could not stand it and went away. The
whole time from when we first reached the
coach until it was all blazing was not more
than five minutes. The stoves in both ends
of the car were smashed when the car was
telescoped and the flames at once
started. They tried to uncouple the
sleepers and run them out of the
way, but the couplings were bent
aud only the last car could be moved. My
clothes were all burned and the train men
made up suit that did me till we got to st.
Paul. One strange thing about the accident
u.s. that the engineer and fireman escaped,
and they cannot tell how they got out of the
engine. The conductor was in the baggage
car and was shaken up somewhat, and the
baggageman had his leg broken. Tue engi-
neer did his duty land is worthy Of high
praise. His name do not know. think