The Washington herald., 1908-09-05

Little Margaret T!gmphries was burned
20 death yesterday. and little William
Simons, her playmate. is a hero
The HumpAries girl who was eleven
years old, died from her burns at SIS
{ o'clock last night, at George Washington
I University Hospital she was the daugn-
ter Of E. r Humphries. a washington
newspaper man. who lives at III o
street northwest
While the chld,s clothing was or fire
the sImons boy ran 10 her. and taking
hold Of her wrist. ;aId her 70 lie down
When she dropped 10 the ground the
/ little hero placed a hand over her mouth
. and held IL there while lie rolled her upon
the grass until a nsgaD9r arrived 10
finish the work he had 50 weH begun.
Inhaled the Flames.
The child. however. had already inhaled
/ the flames. and death was sure to come
With her younger brother and two
{ friends. little Margaret was playing In
/ the yard Of F. R. Taylor. lz-S Thirteenth
street northwest The children lighted a
. AA-Hs anu were tls-. aa1HA e--ett'-
when "a fake Of burning paper. caught by
. a suF breeze. 1eu on the chId-s light
summer dress In an instant the infan-
mable material caught FIRE
The Simors boy tore at the burning
4 garment with his hands. regardless Of the
1aia il cost him One OF his hands was
f badly burned
/ The time occupied IN extinEuisri-z the
blaze vas so short that IL was not until
the burning dress had been torn from
( the child that Mrs. Taylor rushed from
+ the house and joined in the work of
rescue. one Of ler hands vas severely
& burned
/ Dr. Thomas Grasty was summoned and
I worked over the child until the arrival
/ Of an ambulance
/ Nr- Humphries. the little girls father.
was unable last niEht % say when the
4 funeral would De- held The iute-meut.
+ he said, however, would be at Lexington.
Va
Has Warned Children.
/ According 70 the children. TIE FIRE
which cost Margaret her life was built
after the children had been forbidden 10
J enEEce IN this form Of amusement
/ Earlier IN the day the children had built
: a bonfire. This was extinEUis1ed by
Mrs Taylor. who warned the youngsters
. OF the risk they were taking
AT the time her clothing was iEuited
the little girl was sitting near the blaze.
I holding crust Of bread az the end OF
a toastins fork a sudden gust Of wind
caught a burning piece Of paper from the
. FIRE and whlrled IT upon her dress.
The idea Of holding the girls mouth.
[ the Simons boy says. he learned IN the
7 public schools
When I saw the blaze start 10 burn
I Margaret" he said. 4 remembered
/ something teacher read in school once,
1 about putting your hand over a person s
mouth and rollirs, the victim around 10
put out the ire"
Little Margaret was the second young
est u FIVE children. She was a pretty.
dark-haired child. rather small for her
. age. and Of q shv disposition At the
+ Franklin School she was regarded as
. among the brightest pupils n her class
She was far beyond the average pupil
( OF her age in her studies
story Of the Tragedy.
Mrs. p. r Taylor. who went to the res
cue Of the unfortunate child and extin-
EUished the flames. went 10 the George
/ Washington Hospital late last night 10
have her burned hand and thigh dressed.
Her burns. although painful, were not
/ serious When asked for an account of
the accident. she said:
7 saw the children playing in the yard.
They were playing bakers, and were
toasting bread over a small fire Fear
ing they might catch afre. I told them
10 stop. but did not remain in the yard
long enough 20 make them obey me
I In the course OF my household duties
I went TO an upper floor. and JhrDugh an
: open window I saw they had left the
fist fire and made one at the other end
Of the yard It seemed but an instant
after I had turned away from the window
that heard a scream and rushing back
to the window, I saw Margaret enveloped
in flames.
I ran into the next room. suatched ID
a blanket. and rushed downstairs. Be
fore I could get 10 her. Margaret had
disappeared into an alley. I ran in the
direction Of the screams and soon came
70 her lying on the ground As quickly as
/ I could I rolled her in a blanket and soon