Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-09
TWO BOYS BURNED UP
vEILFoRD AND HARRY CREERY
CREMATED.
WERE PLAYING IN AN OUTHOUSE.
uad Crnwled I'm Through Small
opening and Could Not De Gotten
out when the Flames Were Dis-
covered.

Yhich has Dceh enacted In this vicinity In
many years occurred In Fairmount yes.
lerday Afternoon. when two bright little
srothers Joseph Wexford and Harry Mel
ton Creery, the one aged and the other
/ years. were burned alive In the corn
house In the grounds of their father
residence, on Nineteenth street, extended.
The news Of the accident, which oc-
rurFei just before 2;3O O'Clock, was soon
beralded over the city. and as the revolt
ing details OF the horrible holocaust be-
came known. more than one heart went
Pat 10 the oereaved and distracted mother,
Who though only just arisen from a bed
OF illness. was forced to stand helplessy
by and see her two little darlings de-
voured by the rayishing flames.
WENT IN TO PLAY.
The children had been wont to make the
courthouse. which Is very near the resi-
nence, their playhouse but recently,
when a lot OF corn was stored therein.
they were forbidden 10 enter it, the pa
rents fearing lest they would scatter the
corn. which was in bulk. about the yard.
AS an extra precaution. Mr.. j. l.. Creery,
the father realizing that boys are not
always easily restrained, had the door
OF the house barred from the inside and
nailed up. thus (as he thoughD precluding
the possibility of the lads securing en-
trance.
He reckoned without his host, however,
for when the family kept chickens q hole
was cut through the side of the house to
afford the fowls a means of ingress and
esress, and through this the unfortunate
little ones. who had escaped the watch
fIl eye OF their mother, entered the build
ing. taking with them some matches. with
which they started the fire that resulted
in their death.
The mother did not miss them until her |
Intention was attracted to the corn |
house through the wide crevices in which |
volumes Of smoke were pouring. Though !
almost too weak to stand, she left her |
6-weeks'-old infant in the kitchen and |
rushed forth TO investigate the fire.
Reaching the courthouse, she heard the
cries Of her little sons from the inside.
appealing to mamma" to save them,
and realizing then the calamity about 10
befan her. she made frantic efforts TO
burst in the door and rescue the boys.
COULD NOT BREAK THE DOOR.
In her weak condition, though, her ef-
forts were unavailing, and 1t was but
few moments. though to the agonized
mother they must have seemed hours.
before the flames which soon burst
through the roof, had stiled the cries of
her loved ones forever. and left her home
desolate. In her frenzy Mrs. Creery
called aloud for assistance. and the
smoke and her cries soon attracted
large crowd
The gentlemen who first appeared on
the scene tried vainy to get in and
rescue the lads, but the flames, which,
by this time seemed fairly to engulf
the small frame structure. drove them
back. forcing them to abandon all hone
Of saving the hopeless children.
IN EACH OTHERS EMBRACE.
Kind friends carried Mrs. Creery TO the .
dwelling-house, but she declined posi-
tiveiy 10 enter the house. and stood, sup
ported by neighbors on her back porch.
While she witnessed the flames as they
Tapped the bodies of her children She
tainted twice. but quickly revived.
luenched and the building had been
razed to the ground she was one of the
irst TO reach the bodies of her little
ones, which, burned beyond recognition, v
ay In a mass of charred corn locked {
irmly in each others embrace.
Kind hands lifted the little remains as i
enderly as possible, while the Mortified y
mother stood by in agony. and as If TO
Intensity her great agony, the limbs a
tk.fr |
we're lifted. AS carefully as could be l.
he remains were gathered together and p
arried into the house. where they were :,
turned over TO Funeral II
Director Billups. who removed them TO
IFS rooms, where they were prepared for h
lurlal y
The flames. together with the news u
{ the horrible result they had wrought,
iiracted a large crowd to the house,
nd though Fairmount is not in the ~
iiy limits, still alarm sent to Engine W
ompany No. 1 brought apparatus to tn
be fire. The department, however, ar fl;
wed too late to be Of any assistance. te
FATHERS SAD HOMECOMING. r.
After the bodies had been taken into tn
be house and the excitement occa- Sc
lored by the dreadful accident had in t,Si
measure subsided the grief-stricxen y
lther. who is employed as a shirt-cut- 81
q IN the city ana was at his place 5
business while the flames were do III
ls their fatal work, arrived at the !
aldened home which he had left but Seo
lew hours before so bright and III
-eerful, and for time he was com
.etely overcome by the great sorrow ID
lal had befallen him. QQ
Ihe bodies OF the little ones were re- ~
lOFed 10 the undertaking-rooms Of Mr. | 1ol
Hlups, and after having been prepared ~
neatly as under the circumstances
ley could be. they were taken back to ton
ne bereaved home. and during the en- 10
'e evening crowds of friends and SYM ="
alhlzers Of the distressed parents g
..el' and as they gathered around the nh
1Ne white caskets many tears were Ia,
rs. the
me arrangements for the funeral. fel
.hieh VIII take place from Fairmount an
-, ~, houlst church this afternoon at WI,
oIoCA' have been perfected, and the Joi
W. W. oOlies. though in separate caskets ~~e
'ai al DC inferred in the same grave. da,
al, ana Mrs Creery had six children of
y, Nely, as the older OF the two un- rae
"tuhatts Was called, and Harry. being for
'at the same age. were inseparable COM wei
'hiohs. and played together almost in ma
ss"htF being accustomed. also, TO Ct
eepihs IN the same bed. They were III ~ :
irucuiaFiy bright boys, and being Of i.ss
hhy, cheerful dispositions were petted s.
an IN The neighborhood where they a |
MOTHER LuETGERT SURPRISE. thii