The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-05
PLAYkATES SORROW
FOR BURNED CHILD
Pathetic Death of Little Mar
garet HUMPHREYS Shocks
NeighbOrhood.

Grief shadows a lonely home today
and q little group of children who were
yesterday as happy as their young
hearts could make them are today sob
bling out their sorrow at the side of
li5ue playmate, Margaret Virginia
HUMPHREYS. who was fatally burned yes
rerday while playing baker with tie
other children Of the neighborhood- IL
was . o'clock in he afternoon when The
child's dress caught fire, and she Ing
cred al the George Washington Uni
versity Hospital until 8 o'clock last
night. when the shock proved too great
and she died
Margaret was the daughter of AT- and
Mrs. Edwin r.. HUMPHREYS of 1921 .
street northwest. The body OF the little
girl Will be taken 10 Lexington. Va, to-
morrow morning and viii be buried to-
morrow afternoon IN the family lot Of
the Presbyterian Cemetery in that city.
The Tragedy.
The tragedy that has robbed a home
of its brightest light and the noishbor-
hood of a little girl who was known to
everybody. is most pathetic and affect
ing.
Margaret Humphries and her three
year-old brother. Jack. went up TO Iowa
circle yesterday morning TO play. After
staying there awhile, they went TO the
home OF Mr.. and Mrs p. r. Taylor, a.
l22S Thirteenth street northwest. The
rear yard of the Taylor home Is a SEN
eraI playground for the children OF the
neighborhood and when Margaret ana
her little brother reached there they
found Margaret Taylor and several
other children already at Play.
r1RU7
of the home and saw that the children
had built q dutch kitchen of bricks
and had started fire lu the Mite
square opening. She called To them 10
done SO until she heard Sc-e EN- ana
looking out saw MargareJ.s d:ess anie,
Dress Catches Fire.
The little girl mad been sitting down
by the ire toasting a piece OF bread,
which she held on a fork, when a pun
of wind caught a piece OF the burning
paper ana threw it against her dress.
In an instant her clothing was ablaze,
Margaret screamed and her tiny broth
CT. who was deeply devoted to her, real
izing that she was in trouble of some
sort, scrambled 10 his feet and ran to-
ward her. Margaret ran from him ouJ
out OF the yard and into an ajOining
alley, until she dropped exhausted.
William D. SmOns. d thirteen-year-oid
boy LIVING In the uelEIDOrHooa4 and who
vas one OF the little girl IS friends
heard her screams ana climbed over
his back fence. He called 70 Margaret
TO fan down and roll on the grass. Tbs
little cir. dr,NpeG, and SlmOns rushed
10 her, put his hand over uer mouth
and threw her hair over her lace u
keep the flames from her mouth
Mrs. Taylor grabbed blanket IRON
the bed and rushed from the house
the uTG eating its way slowly INTO lu5
little body. Mrs. TAYLOR wrapped Mar
earet i'm the blanket and eNylngulshed
the flames.
Taken TO Hospital.
DIR. Thomas Grasty was making u call
in the neighboThOod and rushed out
when he heard a child had been burned.
He carried Margaret ian his arms 10 mis-
carriage and hurried her 10 the George
Washington University Hospital, where,
with DIR. Preutiss and the house physi-
the little sufferer. While DT. GTasty was
carrying the little girl TO The carriage
she recovered from .tne IalHt ana her
Jack21 she was told the little fellow
was safe, and seemed to be satisfied
During the treatment at the hospital
Margaret was so patient that the at
tending physicians had hard " ork Keep
ing the tears back she had hot mhalC-
the flames. due 10 the heroic efforts
OF the little Sjmons boy but the SHOCK
vas too great for her and after lIugeT-
ing many hours she laDsed into th5
last long sleep.
Margaret was a pupil AT Franklin
School and was two years ahead of the
grade IN which most children Of heI
age are 10 be found. She knew everyone
I'm the neighbOThOOd and last night the
park policeman and other such friends
of the little girl We're among thOss
who joined their sorrow with that OF
the stricken family.