The Portland daily press., 1899-01-27
BABY BURNED TO DEATH.
Terrible Accident In a Dcering Home
Yesterday.
MOTHER FOUND HER HOUSE IN
FLAMES AND. BABY DEAD.
Little One Had Been Left sitting In
Chair by Kitchen stove--A Four
Year Old Child Had Narrow E.-
cape From Being .smothered.

Year Old child Had a Narrow E.-
cape From Being .smothered.
Yesterday forenoon shortly alter 10
O'Clock terrible calamity visited the
home Of Mr.. and Mrs Charles S. Chase,
500 Forest avenue, near Woodfords. Mr..
Chase and his family consisted of a wife
and two small children, one som, over
three years of age, and tine youngest, an
infant son, Charles W.. IA months old,
have for few months resided n the
little story and a half house on Forest
avenue, having moved there from Ken
nebunk. Mr. Chase Is at present employed
by Nj. Willard Sawyer of Deering Centre,
rs a tesmster.
Mrs. Chnse left her home yesterday
morning and went on an errand TO the
home Of friend at Deering Centre. Be-
fore going from the house she tied the in
FAINT child In Its high chair whi.h she
placed just in front of the kitchen stove
as she has done Oh previous occasions.
and left the two children at home with
the door locked. There was n wood fire
in the kitchen stove just enough to keep
the chill from the house until the moth.
er's return.
Mrs. Chase was:not gone long on her
errand and on her return she was great
ly surprised TO find the house fllsd
with smoke.
She rushed into the kitchen at once
and was Mortified to find the dead body
of her infant child burned from head to
foot the face being almost entirely dis
figured and its limbs all ourled up A
small portion only Of the clothing re-
manned, and that was found to be in tat
ters and rags. The mother seized the
charred and burning remains OF the In
FAINT In her excitement and carried them
out into the yard and laid them in the
snow, where they were found by this neigh.
bors. She then went back into the house
to rescue her little girl Nels Sorensen,
young man residing with his parents
in the next house above, and Mrs. Kate
Mccarthy, another neighbor, were soon
on the scene and discovered that the fire
had been put out by Mrs. Chase. An
alarm, however, had been sent In during
the excitement from box D.
Chief Engineer Moody on arrival at the
house, found that there was no fire except
In pile of rags on the floor near the
stove.
Mrs. Chase by this time was frantic and
left the house intending to start out and
find her husband at Deering Centre. She
was assisted to the home OF Mrs. Sawyer
by friends, where she was taken care Of
Sbo was hysterical and unable to talk
much about the disaster.
Mrs. Mccarthy took charge of the four
year old child. Susie, and DIR. @. W. Foster
much difficulty and the doctor announced
that she came near being smothered to
death. The child was much better at
last accounts and is still in charge Of
Mrs. MCCARTHY.
Coroner Perry was summoned from
Portland, but deemed an inquest unpeo
essary. The cause of the fire is a mystery,
but 1t is believed that some cloth or
garment had been left hanging on the
funnel TO dry, and catching fire spread
until 1t set fire to the baby's clothing.
Other opinions are that the older child
must have been playing with matches
and oareIessly SGT fire to the baby's cloth
ing. The coroner ordered the remains
turned over to Undertaken Rich and they
were at once prepared for burial, and.the
interment took place yesterdayIafternoon
at Forest City cemetery.