New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-30
DEATH JN THE FLA MES.
4 MOTHER AND HER CHILD fhhi'ii'

THE OLD NiGrlE HOUSE At VERNON NALLhi'
L. L. BURNED TO THE GRouND-NARRoW rs
CAFE or THE OWNER AND Ills WIFE.
The old H!gbie homestead at Vernon Valley. H.
WAS burned TO the ground Thursday night
Mrs Edna Reeves. daughter Of the owner. lsraei
EIigi,ie. and her fifteen year-od daughter NAT
tie Reeves perished in tho flames. The other oC-
c,n2nts OF the house Mr. and Mrs. Higbie, mar
rovly escaped the same fate by jumping from
sccond-story window in their night clothes.
The house was an old-fashoned two-s'ory
structure. and WAS withn . short distance Oh tHe
railroad station. The fire started in an ola chi"-
nev place in the kitchen from detective H'c
The wind was blowing strongly from the north-
,.e,t and the house hc.nG Cd, II was burned in
ten minutes Tho family retired at ~ CoNN'
and an hour later Mr. HiGbic was awakened by
the smell Of smoke. which flied his room. WIN
only his nigh, clothes N. ne rushed out Of doors
and alarmed his ncighbors. The room occupied
bv Mrs Higbe. who Is s.vty-dve years old, was
unstairs on the west side. 1t IS thought that Mrs
Rceves he'd started to rescue her daughter and
,,as overcorne b. smoke Mrs. FIigbie stepped
,broucb = v,ndoy 10 the roof Of porch and
iIn,ped t. the ground just as the flames DuFs'
fbr.ugh the windows of the room she had left
She WAS nearly suffooated when she reached the
opc,l mir Messengers on horseback alarmed the
ucighb)rs for several miles around scores oI
men hurried 10 the place but they were TOO la'e
10 bc Of any service. All they cond do was 10
sprcad water on the adjacent buildings TO Keep
them from taking fire.
After Mr. and Mrs Tigb!e had made their es-
cars p. booon,e known that their daughter and
crandchid had not been seen. Volunteers were
ca led for to 90 10 thcr rescue. but no one wou'd
venture INTO the burning building
At Midnight nothing remained OF ne nous
but a heap 0f smoulder!ng ruins and ash's E'.'I'
Yesterday morning searching party ied .! N
Roy Mr. Saunders went to Work among thc
ruins The first body discovered was that OF NIT
Ro.vrs II was almost unrec0gnZdoIe Shoruy
aft.rwar1 the body Of the daughter was I"u'Ii
she apparently had not stirred from her bed ana
was n doubt O-ercome by the sno"' Del"ie '''1
fire reached her room.
.'1'd have, been burned 70 death also. salG Mrs
Jigbic IL "A reporter, were II not Tor the idct
ma, I locked my door before retiring last night
something | never d!d before. When touhd tne
house on fire tried the door, but could not get
out Then opened the window ana Jumped do"h
,o the p,azza and then to the ground distance
.: ten feet. -. ,,,
Mrs Reeves occupied room on I: secoh'
eoor She leaves a husband. who Is out oi town
and two sons Andrew and Leande". agei SIX
toor and twelve years respectively. Nothing was
e,ved from the house excepting Few papers De-
longing - Mr. Higbe. The latter said there had
h.er no fire in the kitchen stove SINCE ~
o.c'ocf He thinks the woodwork around the
chimney became overhcated. Inc mouse WIS
suili 100 wears ago and vas the Oldest residence
IN tho neighborhood Mr.. Higbie IS a large land-
nwn.r end one II the wea.thest residents o!
Sur IL, t'puufy