The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-13
BURNED BY FLAMES
BABY OF EX-COR0NER MC0lLISTER
Has A NARROW ESCAPE

dAS q NAhhOR- DOAI L.
Hts Father Was Engaged in Burning Brush
When the ChiId's Clothing Became L.
nited and by Chance is Seen by It's Sis
ter, Who Informs the Father Who, Not
withdrawing the Fact That He is a
Cripple, Saves the ChiId's Life-M. VI.
McCoIIister Was Badly Burned as Was
Also the Child.
There was a sad looking figure about
the court house yesterday, yet one who
still bore marks of familiarity TO those
that met the man and were surprised
TO behold in the disfigured man none
other than ex-CorOner McColliSter. He
bore the marks of a signed cat. His
eyebrows were gone, his hair was
scorched, his lips were burned TO bis
ter, while his nose had the appearance
of the well-known temperance advocate
of having been on protracted whiz.
What on earth is the matter. Mac?"
was a question propounded TO him and
which he was forced 10 answer score
or more of times.
ooh, am nearly dead" was the slow
enswer that came from the fumes of ar
MICA and other drugs which had been
applied to his parched body.
There was no need of giving this an
ever as his appearance clearly showed
that he was not in the pink of condition,
but the question was how it had hap
pened.
''Well. let me SIT down and will tell
you all about it." said Mac as he drop
ped into an easy chair in the probate
court room.
You see continued Mac, ct was de-
sirous of burning some brush on my
land over on the island and for this
purpose had pLowed a furrow around
piece Of land and was back-fring
against the wind. After ! had started
the first brush pile my little fOur-year-
old boy came out in the field to watch
me. and [ put the child as I believed
outside of the reach Of danger and was
going on with my work. All at once I
was startled by the screams of my
daughter and ran 10 see what was the
matter when imagine my horror, l be-
held the baby engulfed in flames. It
appears that the sparks from my brush
pile had ignited a pile near the baby
End its dress was caught on fire.
"As it is well known my left arm has
been paralyZed for years, but as I be-
held my child's life in danger for some
unknown reason ] was able to move y
sufficient to grab the child and hold him I
to my breast while with my right hard /
tore his garments from his body and 1
thus saved the child'S life.
But the glove on my disabled hanl /.
caught on fire as well as my shirt sleeve /
from the child's clothing and was un, |
able 10 either remove the child or pu: /
nut the fire that was burning my flesh /
until the arrival Of my daughter who /
lifted the child out of my arms.
Il was badly burned as you can see |
and before l could get to the house 1 |
had taken a bad cold and as a, conse-
ruence am in a very bad condition and |
should have been in bed today only I /
had some business which must be at
tended to.
''As it was the child was pretty badly
burned about its lower limbs while T
WAS badly scorched yet I want to say
that there was not a more thankful
family in Sedgwick county than that
which gathered around my festive |
board last night. Just think of it! Had |
ahe baby ran in any other direction
than straight north it would have in |
hailed the deadly flames. but it running |
with the wind was saved. 1t was a mir |
acle and one that can not be explained. |
Had the child started toward me or to-
ward the house it would have been
killed, and / want to say we thanked |
God for the baby's miraculous escape?"