The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-21
AN INFANT
 INCINERATED West End Fire Causes Death. TWO GIRLS ARE RESCUED The Three Children Alone When Flames Broke Out. Robert, the Two-Year-old Bon Of Marcus Reeves, of the Peoples
 Cotton Factory, One to
 Lose Life. 9a
TWO GIRLS ARE RESCUED

Robert Reeves, the 2-year-oId and only son of Marcus. Reeves. machinlst of the Peoples Cotton Factory, was burned to a crisp at LIS o'clock last night. In the house of his parents, No. rfacsory no.. Two nieces of Mr. Reeves, Pennle Lett and Alma Lett. F and 10 years old. re-
 but were revived after they had bscn 1 rescued
 | Fire broke out in the house of Marcus | Reeves shortly after Il o'clock. Both | he and his wife were in the neishborhood visiting. Most of the people Of Faclosy Row were at .neighborhood dance. sev- eral blocks from the factory. Robert Reeves was left by his par ents in charge of the two little Lett girls.
 The children retired early. The doors of the three-room cottage were locked In the first room, the bed room Of his pa- rents, Robert Reeves lay sleeping peace fully on pallett. The two iittle Lett girls occupied room just to the rear. dn the front room a lamp. without {. .im- ney, was left burning for Mr. and Ml $. Reeves on their return.
 Fire Caused by Lamp.
 While the children slept the blaze of the lamp began scorchlng the sides of the cottage. The smoke grew into d in which the baby slept was a mass of flames. & F..#Ns The fire travelled rapidly and in a re- markedly short time. the entire house was ablaze. The flames spread to the house next door occupied by Mrs. Stewart.
 The neighbors. who were on the row. were slow in discovering the blaze As soon however as they became cognizant trwfN A~sa .lassw was responded to by Hose Company No. 1. But the fire had done il work when the company arrived.
 I In the mean time the neighhors busied 1 themseives trying to control the flames. Suddenly one man though that perhaps some one was in the house. This man was William Austin, mill operative. He immediately dashed to the rear of the l house and tried the door, It was locked. Throwing his weight against the panels he forced an entrance.
 | The roof of the burning building was | about to fall. Cropping his way in the dense smoke, scorched by the deathly flames, he reached the room where the two older children were. Both were part ly unconscious from suffocation. Snatch ing them from their bed, Mir. Austin made for the door and two lives were saved. | But Robert Reeves was a charred fcorpse. The mother and father soon reached the scene, and immediately re- alized the probable fate of their babe. The agony was awful but thcy realized that nothing could be done. When the flames subsided a party of neighbors entered the smoking frame that was standing, and there. lying with his | face between his little hands, was the burned babe. The body was charred be- yond recognition.
 The two rescued children were soon re- vived. Everything possible was done by | the neighbors for the grief-stricken par ents of the victim of the tragedy. Rev. | Ernest c. Nave pastor of the West End Methodist Church. was telephoned for and | in company with an uncle of the child | reached the scene of the fire. The body had been put on an improvised bier. Four stalwart mill men carried the remains The Remains Removed.
 The entire mill community followed the body, as the men wound their way to the home of the grandmother of the child, Mrs. James Harwell, 609 Clay Street where the remains were prepared for | burial.
 The funeral of the baby will take place this afternoon at o'clock from the resi- dence of Mrs. Harwell, Rev. E. c. Nave will ofFlciate.
 The child was a little boy of unusual bright mind and the loss of him, their only child. under such heart-rending cir cumstances, was severe shock to the parents.
 Marcus Reeves. the father, before the closing down for the summer of the Peoples Cotton Factory was the machin- ist of the loom room and there is no more popular mill man in Montgomery. Every thing MT. Reeves had was lost in the flames with the exception of the clothes on his back. Some money he had saved to last him through the idle months, was destroyed by the fire. He Is in a desti- ute condition