Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-06
Father Rescues Two
Children, but Loses
Life on Next Trip

Sdp1' 0eoISe LeTmOnd, y. .. A,
was burned to death in a futile
attempt to save the life of his s.
year-old son, George Lermond, jr.,
when fire destroyed the home of his
father-in-law, Maj. William Lloyd,
near La Plata, Md, early today.
Capt. Lermond's wife, Mrs. Edith
Lloyd Lermond, and their two other
children, william, 4, and Edith, Is
months, escaped the flames.
Capt. Lermond, who was IS,
dashed into the burning nursery
when he was awakened by the fire,
and carried the two younger chill
dren to his wife on a sleeping porch
and she lowered them to safety in
the yard by means of bedsheets.
The Army officer then re-entered
the bedroom in an attempt to rescue
his older son and was overcome by
smoke before he reached the boys
bed.
Mrs. Lermond endeavored to drag
her husband to safety but was
driven back by the flames. She
escaped the house by climbing down
rose trellis from the second floor
sleeping porch to the yard.
Family Alone in Home.
The Lermond family was alone in
the house. Maj. Lloyd, retired from
the Army Medical Corps, and Mrs.
Lloyd left yesterday on a vacation
trip by motor to State College, Pa.
The family servants were at their
homes nearby.
Maj and Mrs. Lloyd, reached
after police radio broadcast sent
out by the Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania State police forces, were on
their way home this afternoon, I'M
aware of the tragic deaths. They
were notified simply that their home
had burned.
The home, known as Wicomico
Knoll, located at Mount Victoria,
about Is miles from La Plata, ap-
parently caught fire shortly before
am.
Elmer Pilkerton, who lives nearby
and is employed as a laborer on the
Lloyd farm, said he awoke at $50
In, noticed a ruddy glow in the
sky and saw the Lloyd home on
fire when he went to a window.
Pilkerton aroused his wife, Mrs.
Mary L. Pilkerton, and he raced to
the Lloyd home while she tele-
phoned to The La Plata Fire De-
partment.
Rescuer Is Driven Back.
Pilkerton said that when he
reached the scene, Mrs. Lermond
and her two younger children were
standing outside the burning home
and that the fire had almost leveled
the building.
He attempted to enter the home
when Mrs. Lermond told him her
husband and son George were in
the structure. But the place was
a real inferno and I couldn't find
any place to get in," he said.
Pilkerton said Mrs. Lermond told
him that when the fire was discov-
cred her husband entered the
nursery and brought William and
Edith to her on the sleeping porch
and that she lowered them to the
ground with bedsheets.
Mrs. Lermond said her husband
attempted to reach the nursery
second time to save George and
when he did not reappear she went
after him." Pilkerton explained.
Climbed Down Rose Trellis.
Mrs. Lermond said she found her
husband lying unconscious on the
floor near the nursery door and
attempted to drag him to safety,
but was driven back by the flames
and was forced to climb down the
rose trellis to escape"
Mrs. Lermond, overcome by grief,
was treated by DR.. j. T. McAndrews
of La Plata after being taken to
a neighboring home. Her two chill
dren also were taken to neighbors'
residences and given first aid by DR..
McAndrew for scratches about the
face and partial suffocation.
The bodies of Capt. Lermond and
his son were removed from the
ruins by La Plata firemen and were
taken to the funeral home of Hunt
& Ryon at Waldorf
Investigation Is Ordered.
Origin of the fire was not i'm
mediately determined and an in
vestigation was begun by DR.. James
L. MacKavanagh of La Plata,
Charles County medical examiner.
The fire is believed to have
started near the kitchen on the
first floor. Mr.. Pilkerton said that
when he reached the home, the
fire appeared to be burning more
(See FIRE, Page A-30