Henderson gold leaf., 1911-06-29
GIRL PERISHES In FLAMES.
Miss BERTHE Pearce Meets Most hor.
rible Fate by Being Burned Alive in
Her Room

Miss Berthe Pearce Meets Most hor.
rible Fate by Being Burned Alive in
Her Room.
The most terrible thing about the de-
structive fire at North Henderson early
Saturday morning was the needless sac
rifce of her own life in the seething
flames by Miss Bertie Pearce, the II
year-old daughter OF Mr.. and Mrs. Geo.
p. Pearce, in whose home the fire Origi-
mated and which was the first OF the sew
eral buildings to be burned. 1t is re-
garded by everybody as one OF the most
shocking and regretable tragedies that
has occurred in this city for some time.
The young girl, securely imprisoned in
her room at the last moment, being
unable to find her own way out and be
yond the reach OF one who bravely and
unselfshly stroye to rescue her from her
awful peril, at last had to succumb to
the flames, and was literally roasted
alive in a yeritable furnace.
About ! O'Clock Saturday morning
while everybody in the immediate
neighborhood was in bed sound asleep,
the fire. which was of unknown origin,
started in the cook room Of the small
cottage in which the Pearce family lived
and which was the first of the several
buildings to be burned in rapid success
sion. When Mr.. and Mrs. Pearce We're
first awakened by the roar of the fire, it
had already burned down the kitchen
and was breaking into their bed room
where several of their smaller children
were sleeping with them. Fully realiz
ing their great danger, the father and
mother began as hurriedly as possible to
arouse the other members of the family
and get the smaller children out to
places of safety. This they barely had
time to do without even attempting to
save any of their clothing or household
goods.
Miss Bertie Pearce, the young girl who
perished in the fire, and her younger sis
ter, jamie, were sleeping in a room ad
joining that of their parents. They were
aroused by the warning cries OF their
father and of the younger children, and
at once started to leave the house.
When they had reached the door in
plenty of time to make good their escape
without harm, Miss Bertie asked jamie
to ''hoId on a moment" and for some
unknown reason turned hurriedly back
into her room as if to secure something
she wanted to save; but jamie, being
naturally very much excited, went on
out, supposing that her older sister
would follow in a moment. But here, it
seems, is where Miss Bertie made the
fatal mistake that cost her her own life
and a most horrible death.
There were ten children in all in the
Pearce family, and in the very few mo-
ments Of great excitement and anxiety
in which they had time to think and act
Mr.. and Mrs. Pearce had their hands full
in looking after the younger children,
among which number there was small
baby, and after once getting them out
to place of safety, to keep any OF the
little fellows from going back into the
burning house. They also felt sure that
the older ones having once been thor
oughly aroused, would have presence of
mind to take care of themselves. So the
parents of the ten children finally left
their burning home feeling confident that
all had gotten out and to places OF refuge.
Even jamie felt sure that BERTHE had
come out, after turning back for a mo-
ment, and so assured her parents. While
she could not be located in the now rap
idly increasing and excited throng
about the fast spreading flames, it was
thought for q little while that as she
was scantily clad she might have has
tened at once to some neighbours house
for protection. But fearful tragedy,
OF which the members OF the family out
side and everybody else save only two
persons were unconscious, was being en-
acted in the burning house.
Miss Bertie Pearce had really gone
back into her room, which by this time
was full to suffocation with smoke and
flame, and in less time than it takes to
tell the sad story had doubtless become
thoroughly blinded and badly stitied by
the dense volume of hot smoke, and
could not again find her way out
James Journegan, who lived in a small
cottage which was separated from the
one occupied by the Pearces by a mar
row alley, happened to spy the girl
through the window of her room, and
realizing her terrible peril and distress
broke through the door into her room
land made several desperate efforts to
get her out, but he soon became SO
blinded aud stified that he could not see
to get hold of her or render her any as
sistance whatever. He, too, soon lost
the door, and seeing the fntility of all his
efforts to rescue the girl in place like
that, and being himself on the point Ci
yielding up to suffocatiOn, broke through
a window and got out barely in time to
save his own life His face was burned
almost into blister and the inside OF
his mouth into crisp while in the room.
He was also right badly cut by the
pieces OF broken window pane, and since
the fire has been confined to his bed
much OF the time.
Journegan states that when he got
into the room Miss Bertie was walking
frantically round and round in the
dense hot smoke as if she were already
deliriOus, and unconscious from the very
start OF his presence in the room. At
last in her mortal agony she fell sitting
to the floor, crying. "Oh, Lord Oh,
LOrdr" 1t was then that he was com
PEELED to Jump through the window for
/ his life, and was found later lying upon
/ the ground some little distance away,
where he received medical attention
The awful fate of the girl was not known
even to her family until their home was
completely burned down.
Some time later her charred remains
burned to a perfect crisp, were found
where she had fallen, between her bed
] and i window. The coroner was sum
moned and viewed them, but not being
able to see that anyone was blame,
worthy did not call in a Jury. The re-
mains were taken to Wake county Sat.
urday for interment
/ The Pearce family were newcomers in
North Henderson, having moved there
about four weeks ago from Wake coun.
ty, and wer operatives in the Hender-
son Cotton Mills. Mr.. Pearce was Sc
unfortunate as to have no insurance on
his household effects, and having lost
everything, including their clothing, they
are left in very hard circumstances.