Evening star., 1946-03-19
Virginia Farmer
And Children
Burn 10 Death
Mother Saves Three
Other Youngsters
From Blazing Home
Special Dispatch 10 The sior

PURCELLVILLE, Va, Mar. 10.
"A 35-year-old farmer and three
|of his six children were burned
to death here early today when
their home was demolished by
flames in less than half an hour
after an explosion in the kitchen
stove.
The farmers wife, Claudia, 80,
saved herself and three younger
children but was unable to drag her
husband and the other youngsters
from the house.
The victims were Jack Crowder.
who operated the Asa Moore Janney
dairy farm; Jack, jr., IL; Dale, 10,
and Mary Elizabeth, 8.
Rescued by Mother.
The children rescued by Mrs.
Crowder are Doris, 6; Billy, 8, and
Violet, 2. They were given shelter
at the home of a neighbor, Samuel
c. WEIGH, while the mother, suffer-
ing from shock and throat burns,
was taken to Winchester Hospital.
The house in which the Crowders
lived was described by Mr.. Janney,
owner of the property, as Colonial
type two-story frame dwelling. 1t
was about $50 years old and was
known as Telegraph Springs be-
cause of the presence of a spring
under 1t.
Because Of her condition, Mrs.
Crowder was able to give only a
fragrnentary explanation OF what
occurred. but as reconstructed by
Sheriff S. P. Alexander, the tragedy
is believed to have come about in
this manner:
Mr.. Crowder arose about am,
earlier than usual because a dairy
inspector was due at the farm. In
starting fire in the kitchen stove
f1at-top iron, coal and wood burner
he apparently splashed some kero-
sene into the stove to hurry the
fire making.
Possibly ignited by a coal left from
the night before, the kerosene burst
into flames with an explosion that
awakened Mrs. Crowder, who was
sleeping In an upstairs bedroom
with the three younger children.
Mrs. Crowder found her husband
struggling to his feet, his clothing
aflame. She tried to assist him but
he flung himself on a sofa in the
living room next to the kitchen and
then lost consciousness
With flames spreading rapidly
through the downstairs, Mrs. Crow
der rushed to the second floor and
led the three children to safety. A
wall Of flame stopped her when she
tried to re-enter the house and help
her husband and the other young
sters who were asleep In a first
floor bedroom.
Mr.. WEIGH, whose home is about a
quarter of a mile from Janney's
place, hurried over when he heard
the explosion. He found flames
shooting from all the windows of the
Crowder house. Mrs. Crowder was
huddled, with the three rescued
children. in the family automobile
parked near the house. They were
in their night clothes.
Flames Enveloped House.
When the Purcellville Volunteer
Fire Department arrived, about 20
minutes later, after q 21a mile run,
the house was enveloped by flames.
Efforts to extinguish the fire were
useless.
The bodies of Mr.. Crowder and
the children were still in the smol-
dering ruins at noon today awaiting
the arrival of the coroner.
Mr.. Janney said the Crowders had
moved to Virginia from Gentry,
Ark, and that the father went to
work for him about the first of
the year.
Neighbors were trying to get In
touch with sister of Mrs. Crowder,
who, they said, lives in Annapolis.
Mrs. George Bradford of nearby
Lincoln, planned to care for the
children until relatives are
l0eafod