Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-08-28
While Commander Of Post at
Ell PasO Is Preparing Home
for Family Tragedy Occurs
at San Francisco,
MOTHER DIES TRYING
TO SAVE LITTLE GIRLS
Fire Occurs in Old Frame
Building Used by United
States Officers for Quarters
at the Preside,

san Francisco, Aug Warren
Pcrshng. fNe-ycar-old son Of Brig
Cen John j. porshug rescued early
today from bis burning home at the
Preside Of san Francisco. in which
bis mother aud his three sisters, Mary
Margaret, Anne ana Helen, We're suf-
focated and burned, awaited tonight
the homecoming of his father
General Pcrshing, commanding
troops on the Mexican border left El
Paso today when informed that his
wife and three of his four children
were dead He viii arrive here SUN
day morning
United states Senator Francis T..
Warren. fother of Mrs Pershing, Will
come from Cheyenne Wyo
only Ono of Family Left.
warren. the only one left tonight
IL General Pershings family Of five
is being mothered by nurses at The
Lettermann general hospital al the
Preside. lie was taken there today
when he was picked mp unconscious
ON the floor OF his bedroom by Off
Gers aud men who crawlcd through
the burning house, searching for
Mrs Pershng and her four children
Warren revived quickly The others
were dead when the rescucrs reached
them, suffocated ana their heads.
hands and feet burned
Mrs Walter o. Boswell wife Of
Lieutenant Boswell, Twenty-first I'M
fantrX and her maid lcaped from the
porch roof 70 the ground after throw
ing Mrs Boswclls two children down
20 Officers and men, aroused by her
.crics and the noise of cracking wood.
Mrs Porshiug and her children
were to- have loft here within week
Ia Join General pershtuR at I'll Paso.
a home 90 receive them had been
prepared by him.
Ungl General Pershlng arrives, or
sends Instructions. no arrangements
viii be made for the funeral
Might Have Been Saved.
The lives of Mrs. Pcrshlng and her
children might have been saved IL
fire apparatus at the panama-Pacific
exposition adjoining the Preside had
been summoned Immediately said
chief r. r. Murphy of the san Fran
cisco fire department tonight in a
statement criticizus the Presidio's
fire equipment and system as made
uuatc and antiquatcd. He said that at
conference NO would hold tomorrow
with Nal Gen Arthur Murray,
{ DE would Insist that the Preside au-
thoruics revoke "A standing order TO
men oC the post not TO pull a city fire
alarm until AN effort has been made
to subduo the blaze In the last
three years there have been nine
deaths by fire at the Preside.
when Fire Is Discovered.
Mrs Boswell WIS the first Of the
lpeoplo in the house to discover the
Ifire She WAS aroused 10y the smoke
land awakened her children and called
Ito Mrs pershing Then she opened
+ the door from her room 60 the hall
/ a gust of smoke drove her back and
She encountered flames in the han
BVay She took her children to the
stairway hut found it cut off 10y fire.
+ and reueated through her room TO
/ the roof of the front porch
i The noise OF the flames by this time
/ had aroused Lieut. Eugene santsehi
Twcuy-frst infantry Private G. j.
/ Haaelctt and another soldier. who
/ broke IN The doors of the house but
We're forced back by the flames. Then
i Mrs Boswell from the porch roof
threw her two children, Philip and
( James, six and three years old still
icuuur To Mrs Porshing, ana Jumped
herself Her maid previously had
Jumped and been caught Mrs Bos-
wen fcl In "a flower bed wrenching
hor back she was taken 10 the Pre-
sIdio hospital
Warren pcrshmg was found uncou-
scious ON the floor of room by
Johnson the pershings aged negro
servant who led rescue party into
the house. lie was revived at the
Preside hospital
m the corner of the house most
burned the rescuers found Mrs
Pcrshing dead on the floor with her
arms across one OF the children, who
was ou The bed ON another bed was
ianothor child the third lay on the
floor The bodies of an were consio-
Iorably burned
Apparently Mrs Pershing aroused
lby thc smoke and possibly by Mrs
I BosVells repeated efforts to awaken
her both from the han and the front
porch roof had gone through the
smoke and fire 20 the room where
Helen and Anne silent ana brought
Them with her Warren's room was
Inaccessible to her
The fire DESTROYED one corner OF
the house. burned TO the roof an,
caused t 90 collapse
Inve=tiaailou Ordered.
Major Henry 70 whitney Gem
! handing the Preside immediate
/ .y appointed 4 hoard Of inquiry t.
a report ON the fire. lie named on /
Major James q Hartford First cav
= airy Major ". r. Lewis. medica
Z corps and Lieutenant Rutherford $
g Hartz. Twenty first infantry
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