Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-01
FATALLY BURNED.
George Sharp Meets With Horri
Death In a Burning Barn.

OeoiSe snarp meets with q Horrible
Death in a Burning Barn.
Shortly after midnight Sunday fire was
discovered in stable in the rear of John
Rileys store at Tenth and Z streets, by two
young men who were passing, by the name
of c. Tryon and P. Shocks. They ran TO
the residence of W. II. Thompson, who
lived near by, and gave the alarm. Mr..
Thompson and his son-in-law, VIM. d.
Powers, ran out and soon put the flames
out, which were confined to the floor and
cot OF an old man who was sleeping there,
by the name of George Sharp. The latter
was rescued with considerable difficulty
and died from his injuries about an hour
and half later.
Coroner Clark held an inquest last even
ing when the following facts were elected.
VIM. d. Powers in his testimony said: Il
am painter in the employ of the S. P.
Co.; last night at u o'clock / was at nv
residence, 1015 E street; was awakened
by my wife and heard her say as she went
to the window, 'all right" to some one on
the outside. She then went in her fathers
room and woke him up and came back and
told me TO get up as the barn was on fire.
| dressed as rapidly as | could and went
out, my father-in-law getting out in ad-
vance of me. The fire had burned through
Riley's barn into our barn. it had burned
hole about two feet square in Mr.. Rileys
barn. l found my father in law
fighting the fire from his side of the barn
which tits up against Riley's. When he
saw me he said: viii get on the other
side; get the door open and get George out"
When l got around on the other side a
young man named Peter Shocks was there.
At that corner of the barn there is small
garden hose used for washing carriages.
We got the bose and went in the barn to-
gether. | went to where the bed was, as I
heard George groaning in there some
where. His bed was a cot. l felt of it and
found that the center was burned out of it.
The smoke was very dense; l almost suf-
located and had to come out. / then
called for q light and went in again. At
the same time my father-in-law came in
through the hole that had burned in the
side of the barn. He tried to get the body
out, but slipped and fell through the floor
where the latter had burned. We all
finally got hold of the body after my
father-in-law had succeeded in turning it
around, and got it out of the barn. In the
meantime some one had gone for DR.. Dat
man. Sharp's legs and feet were cooked. His
arms and hands were badly burned. l be-
came chilled and went into the house be-
fore he died.
VIM. H. II. Thompson said he had heard
the statement made by the preceding wit
ness, his son-in-laW, and could fully cor
roborate the same. When l tried to pull
the man out | found that he mad one of his
legs caught in the crotch of the cot frame
He also held on to the cot with both hands
had to break his hold before l could get
HIM turned around so that he could be got
out. We took him out in the yard. and
after fixing place in the barn as comforta-
bly, as possible we carried him back He
asked for water; we gave it to him, and he
drank, and said his hip and back hurt him.
He did not complain of his feet and legs.
He did not seem to know that there had
been fire. The foot of the cot is burned
but the head is nearly whole. He must
have lived about one hour and q half
John Riley said he was grocery man,
and had known George Sharp for about
two years. He last saw him alive about
P. NJ Sunday. Heseemed to be in a stupor,
but was sober. He was subject TO those
spells, something like epileptic fits. He
would breathe hard and was helpless; did
not know anything. He was heavy
drinker. was called out, but not until
they had got him out of the barn. His
name was George Sharp, a native of Eng
land, and SIS years of age. When deceased
was esked how the fire started, he replied:
" | fell and hurt my hips" He had been
in my employ; helped harness the
horses, etc.
The jury brought in verdict of acct
dental death in accordance with the above
facts.