The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-08-08
LlTTLEBABY'
The Result of a Fathers
CareleSSneSS.
BURNED TO DEATH BY HIS BED
The Grief Stricken Man Fired a Bullet
Into His Brain and Is Ex-
pected to Die.

Los Angeles, July S0.-One of the
most pathetic and melancholy events
that ever transpired in this county was
the burning to death of the little three
year-old daughter Of Marion Millar,
and the suicide of Millar on account of
the remorse for his neglect of the child.
The Millars live about three miles
below Azusa ON ranch. Millar is
we'll know throughout the locality and
bears an excellent reputation. The
family consisted of Millar, his wife
and two daughters, one of them 10
years of age, and the other pretty,
faxen-haired three-year-old child. Mil
lar set his heart ON this little tot and
when she could, she accompanied him
on his jaunts. He took as much care
Of her at home as her mother. In fact,
the little one was his pride and pleas
ure. For several months Millar has
been troubled over finances, and he has
repeatedly said that the little girl was
oil he had to live for.
Wednesday Mrs. Millar went to visit
sick woman in the neighborhood and
her eldest daughter went away to visit
some friends. Millar was in charge of
the little girl. He played with her
nearly all day, and toward evening
went into his room and lay down on
the bed, leaving his little daughter
playing in the shade in front of the
house. Millar was very tired and slept
soundly.
1t appears that the little girl got
hold of box of matches and set fire to
the thin and gauzy dress she wore. In
moment she was in blaze. The little
girl, it is supposed from the circum-
stances, tried to put the fire out, as the
water was afterward discovered run
ming. Failing to extinguish the flames
she ran into her fathers room and fell
at his bedside, terribly burned. She
must have cried herself hoarse, as her
little charred hands were found ex-
tended toward the bed as if in silent
for aid. But Millar slept
too deeply to hear his child's groans
and cries if she made any.
When the other daughter reached
the house in the evening she was met
by sickening odor, and looking into
her fathers room saw her little sister
horribly burned and blistered, and
dead by her fathers bedside. She at
once awakened her father. His grief
was terrible. He picked up the dead
and blistered body of his pet and tried
to kiss it back to life again.
After his terrible agony of grief had
somewhat subsidized, he told his daugh
ter he was going out in the backyard
for a moment. Taking his rifle he
went out in the yard and sent rifle
ball through his head. His daughter
was SO overcome with grief over the
fate of her sister that she did not rea-
lie what her father was doing.
When Mrs. Millar returned home
she at once tainted, and is still very
low. Drs. Reed and Becknail were
to attend Millar. They de-
clare that it is impossible for him to
live. His brains protrude from the
wound.
Millar is an old settler in the valley.
He was one of the men who for many
years fought the claim of Henry Dali
ton to the Azuza land grant. A deci-
sion was given in favor of the settlers
in July, 1881, and the people of that
section celebrated the event with a
barbecue in which 1000 participated.
Millar was given much credit for the
part he took in the fight.