The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-13
Little Frances Baird, Daughter
of Archie Baird,
Literally Burned Alive at Her
Parents Home.
PLAYING WITH FIRE.
Every Vestige of Clothing Burn
ed From the Child'S Body.
Nerves Destroyed So She Suf-
fered No Pain.


Death in a most horrible form claim
ed little Frances Baird, the 5-year-old
daughter of Archie NJ. Baird, foreman
of the Santa Fe boiIermaking depart
ment yesterday.
While burning refuse paper about
O'Clock yesterday afternoon the little
girls dress ignited from the flames and
an ten minutes her body from the knees
to the chin was so badly burned that
the nerves were destroyed and her body
rendered entirely devoid of feeling. At
o'clock, five hours after the accident.
she died after having been unconscious
for an hour.
At O'Clock yesterday afternoon Mr.
Baird left his home at the corner of
Jackson and Laurent streets in North
Topeka and started for the Masonic
temple to attend the funeral of Engin-
eer w. w. Frisbie. At home he left
Mrs. Baird, two of his daughters. Miss
Mamie Baird and Frances, and Mr..
Will Eckel. The child had been play
ing in front of the house during the
afternoon and accompanied her father to
the gate when he left and there kissed
him goodbye.
After her fathers departure the lit
tie girl continued to play in the yard
for an hour, now and then going to her
mother and sister on the porch. All ae
once, about o'clock, she stopped play
ing, as though possessed of a sudden
ldea ana running up to the porch steps
entered the house without saving a
word to anyone.
Through the house she went direct to
the kitchen, and climbing up on the
top of a gasoline stove secured a few
matches from box which had pur-
poseIy been placed at a considerable
height to prevent her from using them.
With the matches in her hand she
climbed down from the stove top and
opening the kitchen door, started for
the rear of the yard.
AT one side of the barn Mr.. Baird
some time ago caused a receptacle after
the manner of an oven to be built for
retuSe paper, and to this the child went.
she had often watched her father burn
paper there, and it was her intention to
; follow his example She quickly struck
match and touched it to the paper
ana ~ a moment flame shot up and
the paper commenced TO burn
But the flames We're not fast enough
20 suit the child, and she struck another
match and stopped to touch it to an
other side of the pile of paper In stoon-
ing her light skirt extended Directly
nited - 20
The moment the child realized that
her dress was on fire she started to run
IN the direction of the house screa ming
Ioudly. But the material of her dress
ana uhderclothing was light and the
names spread with terrible rapidity.
Almost instantly her entire body was
encaSed in fire.
twice on her way to the house. with
Ihe flames eating. into her body ana
actually roasting the flesh, the little girl
stumbled and fell Today burned
patches of grass designate these places.
franucaIly the child called for help
put her mother and sister on the 9th
er side of the house failed to hear her
and sat unconscious that the little ones
life was being burned away
Mrs. Houghtelin, residing across the
street, from the Baird home, was the
first to hear the chiId's screams, and
rushing out of her house at once reaIiz-
ed the terrible plight of the little girl.
Turning across the street with her
hand pointing in the direction of the
rear yard, she called to- Mrs Baird:
Frances is burningr'
A moment later Mr.. Eclxel and Miss
Baird were al the side of the burning
child, who had just succeeded in rising
from her second fall, and Mr. EckeI's
coat was smothering the flames about
the little body. Mrs. Baird had follow
ed her daughter and Mr.. EckeI around
the house, and at sight of her child in
flames she tainted and had to be car
ried into the house.
Gently the little victim then in q
semi conscious state was picked IN bv
Mr.. Eckel and taken into the house
Word of the terrible accident spread
rapidly, and in a few minutes there was
the greatest excitement in the neigh
borhOod, and people came running TO
the house. A messenger was at once
dispatched for Mr.. Baird, and the in
VI t0e dCC1QenI GSdcn&Q MIN
while yet at Masonic Temple in the
midst of the services over the remains
of Engineer FCisbie.
Physicians were hurriedly summoned
to attend the child, but they found that
their services were useless. After be-
ing carried into the house the little girl
rallied and became fully conscious, but
suffered no pain from the injuries. The
physicians say that the flesh was lit
orally cooked and that the nerves were
destroyed in the tissue of the body.
Every vestige of clothing ON the
child's body was destroyed.
Thirst constituted the only suffering
of the little girl up to the time she lap
sed into Inconsistencies. This was
about s O'Clock, and she died an hour
later.
The funeral services over the remains
will be held at the Church of the As
sumption at 2 o'clock tomorrow after
noon, and at o'clock Mr.. Baird WIFI
start for the body for Waukesha, Wis,
where the iaterment will be made
Mrs. Baird is Frustrated as the resG't
of the terrible accident.