Evening star., 1943-03-25
Three Killed
As Fire Sweeps
Rooning House
Six Others Injured;
Several Leop From
Sd Floor Windows

The death of Mrs Willie Paylor,
%. colored. at Casualty Hospital
this afternoon brought to three the
toll OF dead in a two-alarm fire
which swept rooming house at
1706 Swami street NV. this morn
ing.
Two children were killed and six
other persons injured in the build
ing which was occupied by colored
tenants. The flames drove about II
residents to the street, some still in
night clothes.
The other victims were Tim Lee,
s. and Brenda Ann Paylor, 3, daugh-
ter OF Mrs. Paylor. They died at
Freedmen's Hospital.
Mrs. Lille Lee, 25, mother of the
boy, was treated at Freedmens for
a fractured jaw and left ankle.
Six Leap From Windows.
At least six, who were trapped on
the third floor Of the brick structure,
jumped from windows, and firemen
who responded to the two alarm
blaze found them spraWled uncon-
scious in an alleyway Ambulances
from two hospitals were rushed to
the scene.
The Paylor child was said to have
died OF suffocation. while the boy
died in Freedmen's at 8:55 am. of a
fractured skull.
Others taken to Freedmen's were
John D. Brock. 80, with fractures
OF both arms and a burned hand,
and Rufus Dyson, AZ, fractured Jaw
and facial cuts.
Treated at Casualty Hospital were
Mrs. Paylor, %, possible fracture of
both legs and internal injuries, and
Beatrice Wilkins burns on the head.
Mrs. Paylor's condition was said to
be serious.
Fire Started on Top Floor.
Victims at Emergency were HASA
Bigelow, 25, fractured leg and elbow
and multiple bruises, and Valerie
Brock, %, fractured elbow and hip
and forehead cuts
The blaze, starting on the top
floor. spread rapidly through the
third-floor apartments, and firemen
found flames shooting from windows
when they arrived. They turned in
the second alarm.
AS soon as he was advised of the
fire, Robert H. Davis, District in
spector Of buildings, sent an official
to the scene to see if safety regula-
tions had been met.
Several weeks ago a city wide in
spection was ordered, but because of
a small staff the section in which
the fire occurred had not been in
spected. A report on the special
inspection is expected late today.
Flames Spread Quickly.
Flames spread to the second floor
before the fire was brought under
control, Families living on the sec
ond and hTst floors and in the base
ment@nfade their escape down stair,
ways.
Mrs. Jennie Rach, Al, who occu-
pies room on the second floor. said
she was coming from the bath when
she saw smoke In her room She
attempted to enter. but was forced
back and ran downstairs, warning
other occupants of the danger.
She said she saw at least three
persons jump from the third floor.
One man was hanging from a VIM
dow ledge as flames leaped from the
window. she said. He cried he could
hold no longer. Then he dropped.
she reported.
Origin Probed.
Police reported that a roomer on
the third floor used an electric
heater and fire marshals were in
vestigating this as a probable origin
OF the blaze
Charles Nelson, "a, 63e @ street
NV. owner of the property, told
reporters the house had been in
spected by the District last year, and
that he had built a fireproof door
leading from the basement. He
said it was the second fire there in
recent years.
The proprietor said eight persons
were living on the top floor, six on
the second, five on the first and two
in the basement.
Firemen attacked the fire from an
adjoining house, playing streams of
water down ventilator. The first
alarm was turned in at 7:08 am.
and the second at about I'll am.