The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-03-02
A BABY BURNED TO DEATH.
A Heart.Rendlnq Accident.

HedTl-RcnuIn0 HCCiueHl.
The young child of Mr.. and Mrs.
Earnest Grissamore on the John Baker
farm north of lila, was burned to death
on last Saturday about o'clock, p. m.
Mr.. Grissamore had come to Lineville
that day to deliver some hogs and the
mother and little children, Willis three
years old and Bonnie the baby, little
over thirteen months of age were alone
at the home. A bunch of calves in the
barn lot not far from the house had not
been watered that day and Mrs. Griss-
amore not expecting her husband home
until late, went out to pump water
for them, first carefully arranging the
room, closing the draft OF the stove and
letting the good-natured dog, of which
the children were fond, into the room
to amuse them during her absence.
After pumping sufficient supply Of
water she returned to the house by
the back way and passing through the
kitchen looked into the sitting-room to
assure herself that the children were
all right. They were playing with the
dog and having jolly time, and Mrs.
Grissamore glanced out of the window
noticed that the calves were straying
away from the pump and she closed the
door and went out again to drive them
back to the barn lot. She is confident
that she could not have been away from
| the house more than three or four min
| utes, but when she returned and opened
the door Of the sitting room it was filled
with smoke SO dense and suffpcating
that not an object in the room could be
distinguished by the terrified mother.
She heard no sound but rushed into the
room to rescue her children. Blinded
and almost stifed by the smoke she
CROPPED about the room and finally hear
ing slight movement, found her Oldest
child and carrying him to the door and
placing him outside turned to the room
in search of the other. Near the floor
the smoke was less dense and dropping
upon her hands and knees she pursued
her frantic search for the baby.
| Upon the floor between the stove
and the wall of the room she found hin
with every shred of clothing burned
from his little body and apparently
dead. She clasped him in her arms and
wrapping him in her dress and apron tt
extinguish the remaining sparks of fire
rushed out doors and screamed for help
The nearest neighbor was John Miller
nearly half a mile away, but he and
others heard her cries and hurried to the
scene. Before they arrived Mrs. Grissa.
more again rushed into the room and
dragged out the mattress and clothing
Of couch which was blazing up to the
up to the ceiling and thus saved the
house from destruction by the fire
The baby however, was beyond all help
Although physicians were hastily sum
moned by phone, their services were
not needed, as the little one died in it,
: mothers arms before they reached th.
scene and in little more than half al
hour after the accident.
/, Mrs. Grissamore is daughter of Mr.
W. B. WATSON, of this place, and thu
baby was named for it's grandfather
He was bright little fellow and hi
distressing and pitiful death has touch
ed every heart with sorrow and sym
pathy for the young parents and TIN
large circle Of relatives who admire'
and loved him.
How the fire originated cannot b.
determined, but it is supposed that tn
older child caused it by lighting pape
from the stove, the draft being foun,
open after the fire, and the little fellow
in his f.,by way says that he did.
The funeral took place on Monda,
with short services at the house ant
the burial was at Evergreen Cemeter.
in Lineville Tribune.