Evening star., 1946-12-08
Former HyottsviIIe Resident
Dead in Winecon Disaster

4 -
A former Tyattsville resident lost
his life In the Winecoff Hotel fire
In Atlanta yesterday, and another
man who registered Washington
address at the hotel was reported
last night as having perished
Dead was Jack Bowen Sheriff, 81
sol, of Mr.. and Mrs. Wade H Sheriff
tr.. whose address is 5412 Annapolis
| road, Bladensburg.
Also reported dead In the blaze
was w. D. G. Kentle, who registered
I at the hotel as being from. Washing :
ton. Relatives or local address
for MIR. Kentle could not be located.
SIX Survive Disaster.
The American Red Gross, which
established an emergency first-aid
station near the hotel early yester-
day, also listed six other former
washington residents as having sur
vived. They are:
Mai. Gen. and Mrs. Paul w.
Baade, MIR and Mrs. Hugh S. Ahern
| and 1t. Col. and Mrs. G. A. Poole.
Also listed as dead was Bill Berry
Of Cedartown, Ca, identified by al
Spivey of 3o4 Emerson street NV,
as an occasional Washington resi-
dent, who was active in bowling
here.
Mr.. Sheriff's parents said they
were notified officially OF their sons
death Yesterday afternoon. Mrs.
sheriff left last night for Atlanta.
The body will be returned here Tor
burial
Attended fiyattsyille School
A native of Wilmington, DEL, Mr..
Sheriff moved here at an early age
and attended Hyattsville High
school. his father said. He moved
to Atlanta eight years ago. During
the war he was Marine Corps
private.
Since the end of the war, he had
operated an night club In Atlanta,
but frequently returned here for
visits. He was divorced from the
former Mary Elizabeth DAILY oil
Hyattsville. Surviving also are
three sons and d daughter who were
living with. Mr.. Sheriff in Atlanta
Mr.. Sheriff was grandson of the
late John Chew Sheriff, Hyattsville
Judge for many years.
w. ]. Burns Grandson Dies.
Another victim of the blaze was
Ashley John Burns, 20, grandson Of
the late william j. Burns, founder
of the detective agency.
An official of the detective agency,
Mr.. Burns lived in New York and
was in Atlanta on business.
A Marine Corps captain during
the war, he fought in the South Pa
cific and was later sdjutant at the
Marine Barracks, according to VIII
liam Crow, manager OF the WASH
ington Office of the agency.
AS a boy, Mr.. Burns frequently
visited his grandfather, who also
was head of the Federal Bureau OF
Investigation and lived at the Ward
man Park Hotel. Mr.. Burns was
the son of Mr.. and Mrs. William
Sherman Burns of ossining, N. Y.
Gen. Baade, former commander
of the famed 35th Division. has re-
sided here several times during MS
Army career. His last Washington
address was 1401 Columbia road
NV.
He and Mrs. Baade were rescued
by firemen who ran a ladder tc
their sixth floor window after the
officer had opened the door OF his
room to find the corridor envelopeo
| In flames and smoke.
r. Awakened by Screams.
Awakened at about $3.50 am. by
screams of trapped guests, Gen
Baade described the scene as worse
than anything he had seen over
| seas.
| "At least you felt you had a
chance in lodging bullets. but you're
Just helpless when you're trapped
| in hotel room with roaring flames
all around you" he said.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ahern told reporters
they were awakened by horrible
screams and that they waited at
their fifth-fioor window until fire.
men carried them down ladder to
safety.
1--WE lost everything we had" Mrs.
Ahern said, even the picture Of my
mother who just passed away. !
wouldn't have taken anything for
| it,
Mr.. Ahern said he was an in
formation representative of the
United States Commerce Depart
mert, and that he recently was
transferred from washington.
Mrs. Jesta Richards, manager OF
the All States Hotel. 5l4 Nineteenth
street NV, said last night the
Aherns had resided at the hotel
since their arrival in Washington
| in December, 1s45. They left foi
Atlanta November Is, she said.
Resided in darlington.
Mrs. Edward Dougherty of 48l7
South Twenty-eighth street, Fair
lington, told reporter last night
that Col. and Mrs. Poole formerly
lived at 4843 South Twenty Eighth
street at darlington. The Pooles,
she said, left Washington last sum-
mer after residing in harrington
since August, 1914.
During the war, Col. Poole served
| in the Aleutians and later with
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