Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-09-23
FIRE THAT COST
LIVES Of FIVE:
ORIGIN OF BLAZE AT THE MEL.
vim TUCKER FARM STILL
A MYSTERY.
CHARREO REMAINS ARE RECOVERED

Coroner George Creel and County
Attorney Frank Wright returned short.
ly after O'Clock Tuesday nis.lt from
Moccasin, where they conducted an
inquest upon the remains of the five
children of Mr. and Mrs Melvin Tuck.
er, who were burned to death in the
fire that destroyed their farm home
Monday night. The inquiry brought
out some details in addition to the
facts, as related in yesterdays Demo
crat- News, the material features being
as given.
From the testimony il appears that
Mrs. Tucker baked Monday afternoon
and arranged to go to the George
Nicholson farm in the evening to do
some washing for her husband. who
was engaged in thresh,ng at that
place She told a man named Wesche,
who took his meals al the Tucker
place, of her plan, and asked him to
look after the children in the eve
ming. Along toward 6 o'clock, hay
ing finished her work and the fire
being out. as she supposed, she put
the children to bed Two of the chill
dren, James and Edward, were left
on the ground floor. They were twins,
three years and nine months old. A
girl baby, Ceredwin, aged two years,
and Claude and Melvin. also twins.
one year old. were put to bed upstairs
the house being frame structure, a
story and half high.
Mother Leaves.
Feeling secure, the mother then got
on horse and rode to the Nicholson
place. She had been gone only half
an hour or SO when Mr.. Connors, a
neighboring rancher whose place is
two miles distant and in plain view
OF the Tucker place, saw the smoke
and Immediately rode over to the
house. BY the time he got there the
smoke was pouring out and the flames
were beginning to curl around the
sides. He did not know that children
We're in the house, but his fears were
aroused when he heard dog barking
under the house. In a few minutes he
was Joined by Mr.. Wesche, who told
him the children were in the house.
Could Do Nothing.
At the time the whole place was a
roaring furnace and it was utterly i'm
possible for them to do anything. Con
Dors got on his horse and road to an
other ranch near by, where he got
Mr. Tucker on the telephone and in
formed him Of the flee Mr. and Mrs
Tucker and others came over, but by
the time of their arrival the house
was mass of ruins. The fate of the
five children was certain and the place
was not disturbed.
When the coroner and county attor-
ney reached the scene of the fire Tues
day morning, they found everything
consumed except the foundation and
iron work. Search quickly disclosed
what was left of the bodies. The up
stairs part had, of course, fallen in
and a lot of debris covered the bodies
of the three children who were sleep
ing there. The body of James, one
of the twins sleeping down stairs, was
in bed, while that of Edward the
largest of the children, was leaning
back against the foundation wall Lit
tie but the skeletons were left.
The Verdict.
The coroner's jury was composed of
u -. I'Io"ii''t, D. d. JEWEL, u. H.
King, George Nicholson, Earl Owen
and l.. II. Wright. A verdict was re-
turned setting out that the five chill
dren came to their death by means
of fire in their parents residence.
Funeral Today.
The remains were taken to Mecca
sin and the funeral will be held upon
the arrival there of Mr.. fuckers
father, who may get in today