Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-30
HEROIC FATHER
DIES IN FLAMES
SACRIFICES HIS LIFE TO AID
DAUGHTER
Midnight Tragedy Occurs In La Habra
Vslley-charles M. Gould
Perishes While Trying
to Rescue Girl

AS the result Of a heroic attempt tD
was meeting death in the flames of his
burning home, Charles M. Gould of
La Habra valley is a charred corpse
today.
While Whittier slept last night the
tragedy occurred and today the peace
full Quaker city is in mourning, widow
and her daughter are prostrated and
only pile of blackened ashes mark
the spot where a brave man lost his
life.
The fire occurred shortly after mid
night Mr.. Gould and his family were
living temporarily in the upper part
of q barn on their ranch, six miles
from Whittier, while a new home was
being built. Adjoining the barn was
an incubator and it was in this that
the fire started.
Mr.. and Mrs Gould. their daughter
and a niece, Marion Mills, were sleep
ing on the second floor Of the barn
and below hay was stored and the
horses were kept.
At midnight the two girls, who were
sleeping together, were awakened by
the cracking of burning timber and
flames had already gained headway in
the lower part of the barn and were
rapidly leapng up the window.
Girls Give the Alarm
The girls gave the alarm and then
ran down the stairs and released
the frightened horses. Thinking there
was yet time to save some of their
clothes, they again dashed back into
the building. The return trip was
made down the blazing staircase and
the girls had to fight the flames to
gain the open Miss Mills was badly
burned about the face and head, but
Miss Gould escaped uninjured.
Meanwhile the father, who had been
saving what property he could at the
rear, missed his daughter and not
knowing she had safely descended.
rushed frantically into the flaming
mass and up the shell of a stairway,
calling pitifully to her Hearing no
response to his cries and finding the
upper part vacant. he realized that his
daughter was safe and for the first
time thinking of himself, turned to re-
trace his steps. But it was too late!
Where the stairway had been was a
seething mass of fire by that time. His
clothing was enveloped in flames.
Rushing to the attic gable he swung
himself onto burning rafter and with
IIle SLTenBCn DO1ne OF desperation
tered the garret window and leaped
twenty-five feet to the ground below,
charred, almost unrecogniza BILE
wreck.
Flesh Was Cooked
Even had the fall not injured him
there would have been no mortal aid.
for his body was literally cooked and
in places the flesh fell away, revealing
the bone.
The nearest neighbor, W. N. Hale,
was the first to arrive on the scene.
DIR. Marshburn was called at once and
did all he could to alleviate the awful
suffering of the burned man.
| Kind hands assisted In placing the
| pain-r racked body of the unfortunate
in a wagon and a sad journey to the
| Fullerton hospital was begun. Mr.
Gould was rational on the way but was
unable to tell of any of his move
ments in the burning building. Little
| by little the feeble efforts to converse
grew fainter and before the hospital
was reached the brave man breathed
| his last.
The wife and daughter We're only
slightly burned but are Frustrated
with grief. Miss Mills condition is
very serious and if she recovers she
will be badly disfigured.
The remains of Mr. Gould are at
Whites undertaking parlors, Whittier,
awaiting funeral arrangements.