The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-22
LEICESTER STAR.
Lightning Plays All
Around Young
Joe King.
BUT IT NEVER TOUCHED HIM.
State Allows $4,000 for
Highway I'm
provements.
BUT IT NEVER TOUCHED HIM.

Leicester, June 21.-Although no ser
ious damage was done last evening in
the centre village by lightning, two
| Cherry Valley families had an exciting
experience during the brief time that a
thunder bolt visited their homes.
Thomas H. King lives upstairs in the
Bottomly residence about the school
house and John P. Crimmens occupies
the lower part. At $50 o'clock a bolt
struck the kitchen chimney of the
house, loosening the bricks. The bolt
broke through the plastering just above
the stove pipe in Kings kitchen, tearing
off enough to fill a coal hod. Then it
bounded off and struck the corner of a
sofa some 10 feet distance. The lining
of the sofa was set on fire and the
pIastering scattered about the room.
A 14-year-old infant, Joseph King,
lay on the opposite end of the sofa.
Mrs. King told a Spy reporter that plas-
tering struck on both sides Of its head,
and she thought it was almost a mir
acle that it was not killed
The rest of the family. seven in all,
were seated around the table eating
supper in the centre of the room. When
the bolt struck all were more or less
affected and the children all fell to the
floor. The father was the first to come
to and fastened to put out the burn
ing sofa lining which was all ablaze.
The baby did not regain consciousness
for nearly half an hour.
After hitting the sofa the ball of fire
jumped to the window casing, yard
away, and then appeared in the room
below coming through the ceiling and
stripping off pastering a yard square.
John P. Crimmins was standing at the
window, so near as to be hit on the
head with plastering. He was partial
ly stunned, as was his daughter, Miss
Hattie Crimmins, in the middle of the
room.
Mrs. Crimmins was seen by a Spy re-
porter today and asked about the mat
ter. She said: AT first I thought we
were all killed, but l heard my husband
say something and then l let out a
screech % let them know 1 was alive.
AS soon as I could 1 rushed upstairs
and found the place all full of smoke
and the children lying on the floor. If
it hadn't been for the men folks the
house would have burned down sure"
The graduating exercises of Leices-
ter Academy will be held on Thursday
afternoon, June 90 at Smith hail. at
2.30 p. m. Hon. Alfred S. Roe of Wor-
cester will deliver an address to the
graduating class. Miss Grace L. Grout
of the class of so will deliver the salu-
tatory and Miss Mary Trainor the vale
dctory.
Hiram L. Waite will make the speech
presenting the class gift to the insti-
tuition anH praCidpnt n COOLIDGE nf
the board of trustees will present dip
Tomas. A school chorus under the d.
rection of Mrs C. J. Shrimpton will
sing. The executive committee and
trustees will give a dinner to the grad
uating class and teachers at the Lei
cester in the evening.
Leicester has been allotted the sum
of $4,000 from the state highway COM
ing section of Main street from Baud
er's farm to the Spencer line. This is
nearly 10 per cent of the total of $685.
S72 allotted Worcester county.
Richard NJ. Jennings and wife of
Hyde Park are guests of John Jennings
of Pine street.
The selectmen hold an adjourned
meeting on Saturday afternoon.
The funeral of Hugh Jameson of
Tatnuck was held at ST. Peters Church
Worcester this morning, and the inter
ment was at st. Joseph's cemetery in
Leicester.
Oliver Arnold, Jr., and Miss Bertha l.
Arnold sung at Mrs. Caroline Wood
Howelrs recital at Worcester last eve
ming.
A house lot next to F. J. Marsh's
residence has been purchased by Ar
thur F. Estabrook, and today batter
boards for a cottage house were put
up.