The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-01-01
Probe Ordered
In Fatal Blaze
Two Children Die
When Home Burns

When Home Burns
CONTINUED from Page one)
It. but On the way stopped to see
Mrs.. Neros. II was there the chill
dren found her. She ran with
them hack TO the house. but by
that time the fire had gained such
headway n 10 make rescue Of the
two children impossible. She told
inspector Larson not more than
five minutes elapsed from the time
she left the home until the chill
dren came after her.
Joining with Mrs. Magrudcr IN
attempting 70 save the children
were Arthur Z. Leonard, 43. Of
2126 30. Yakima ave-. and Herbert
Nina, 10. of 231s So. Yakima ave.
Unsuccessful in their attempt to
open the kitchen door. the men
ran around the side Of the house,
crawled upon . she'd and knocked
. window out Of the upstairs por-
ton Of the building. They were
forced back by flames.
Engine companies No. 2 and No
B answered the alarm which was
received 1T SIS p. m. Joined by
No. 2 truck company. firemen
fought the blaze under control oy
6:l5 p. m. Fire Chief Emory Whit
aker directed operations. assis,sd
by Battalion Chief Clyde Jenkins.
DISCOVER TWO nODIEs
The latter's driver, Evert Co..
tello. was first to discover the
children's bodies. He said they
were within two feet of each other
In the kitchen.
Their father. Corellis lBuck)
Magruder, 43. also survives. He
Is employed In a logging camp
and was not In Tacoma at the
time of the tragedy.
The one ard one half story
fr1me residence building was
nearly destroyed by fire despite
prompt action of the fire depart
ment after receiving the alarm
which wan turned In from a fire
alarm vox at So. 21st and ] SITS.
Damage to the building was
estimated at $1,000 with total loss
to contents, the fire department
said.
ATTEMPTED TO OPEN DOOR
Assisted by Leonard and Minis,
Mrs. Magruder attempted to open
the door from which the outside
door knob had been lost. She
drove her arm through the glass
In the upper portion of the door
and attempted TO open II from
the inside, but was unable TO do 30.
She expressed the opinion the
younger child might have crawlcd
upstairs. II was In answer To this
that Leonard and Minis attempted
to enter the home through the
upstairs window.
After the fire WAS brought UNI
der control. Mrs. Magruder was
treated for q badly cut arm and
hand. sustained when she broke
the door glass. and taken with
Jackie and June to the home of
Mrs. Neros.
The four Magrudcr children
were playing in their home with
their cousins, Angelina and Harry
Neros earlier in the afternoon.
Mrs. Magruder was not at home.
The cotton under the Christmas
tree became ignited by q candle
and Angelina extinguished II with
q broom. The children said moth
ing about the first fire until
questioned by Larson "Wednesday
morning.
FIRST NOTICED FIRE
Minis. who lives across the
street. said he first noticed the
fire when he saw the flames
through the window OF his home
while in the act Of turning on the
radio. He called mis- mother. Mrs.
Bertha Minis. and she told him
there might be children in the
house.
Nearest to the burning home but
unaware of the tragedy untn too
late to avert 1t was Mrs. Rosalee
Aldridge of ala So. Yakima ave.
She was in the front room of her
home nursing her granddaughter,
Rosalee Powers. five. VINO IN sick
with = cold. For the purpose of
warmth the front room was shut
off from other sections Of the
house by sliding doors. She was
first told Of the fire by her little