The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-05
NEGRO MAN SAVES
OTHER CHILDREN
Driver, Passing, Rushes Up
Stairs and Extinguishes De-
vouring Flames-Lady
Has Marrow Es-
cape From
Burning.

While her mother was out of the home
yesterday afternoon In search for food
for her supper. little Matte Keogh, the
four-year-old child OF Mr.. and Mrs.
George Keogh, of No. 1910 East Marshall
Street. walked too near the open crate
and her dress caught fire. In an instant
she was enyeioped in flames and but for
the quick work of O. negro driver who
was passing the home and heard tile
screams of the child mingled with the
cries for help from little playmate,
death would have been instantaneous The
child died at 9:E o'clock last night after
suffering untold agonies. Her body was
burned almost TO a crisp. her hands al
most charred and the lower part of her
face parched and bIistered. Her eyes,
nose and head were not burned.
In the room with the little child at the
time of the burning was a little sister
only two years old, and playmate,
Minnie Lee Burk, eleven years old. The
latter was burned about the hands In
attempting to save the life of the little
Keogh girl Screaming for help the little
Burk girl rushed to the assistance of the
child enyeloped in flames and dashed
n bucket of water over her, It did not
check the, flames at all and ;i.e clotiiins
of the little girl was falling to the floor.
A negro driver was passing the house
and heard the cries for help and at the
same time saw the flames in the upper
room of the small house. He dashed up
the rickety steps and gathering up
blanket threw Ii around the little girl,
smothering the flames and saving her
life for the time being. Within q few
minutes Officers ZInlmer and Bryant
were on the scene and a hurry call was
sent for the ambulance. DIR. Turman re-
sponded promptly and rendered what add
that could be given. Neighbors rushed in
and everything that could he done was
done for the LITTLE sufferer.
Mother Was Frustrated.
Shortly after the child was burned,
Mrs. Keogh. the mother returned She
was frantic with grief and had to be
where her child lay burned well-night TO
a crisp. A phone message was sent to
Mr. keogh. who was at work at Har-
graves painting establishment.
Mr.. and Mrs. Keogh live in n small
tenement house at No. 1910 East Mar
5hail Street. They have two children,
tie une that was burned and another
little girl only two years old Poverty
is written everywhere. The rooms were
bare OF furniture and the place reeked
with foul air. When Mrs. Keogh left
hcme, about $50 O'Clock, she left her two
small children in the one room upstairs
with their playmate, little Minnie Burk.
a small fire burned In the CRATE. The
mother was expected back within short
time with provisions for the supper.
According to the little Burk girl, the
burned child was sitting on the floor
Rear the CRATE when her dress caught
fire She says she did nors notice the
- -s..Y
then she tried to beat the fire out with
her hands. Both of her hands were
blistered. Finding that she could not
extinguish the blaze this way, she
screamed for help and then ran for the
bucket OF water She got this and
dashed It over the little sufferer It
seemed only to make the flames burn
more rapidly. at this juncture the negro
nan rushed to the rescue.
Lady's Narrow Escape.
Mrs. Lou Freeman, who. conducts a
small grocery store at No. zoos Buchanan
Street. had narrow escape from being
burned to death yesterday afternoon
about O'Clock. She was in the act of
lighting large swinging lamp in the
front OF the store when her attention was
called to something in the rear room.
Size let the lamp fall and in aSsecond
St',a flames had gotten into pile OF
paper and We're feeding on the oil that
had spilled from the lamp.
Gathering teh lamp and the paper up
Mrs. Freeman rushed to the door and
'hrew the pile into the street. She did
not think of herself. and scarcely be-
fare she knew it, her dress had ignited
But for the presence of neighbors who
saw the fire, Mrs. Freeman would have
undoubtedly been badly burned. AS 1t
was she was only slightly burned on
ktac arms and the side of her head.
The fire department was called out,
but the flames had been exinguished
when the wagons arrived,