Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-31
.12Die,0neSafe
.AsFireS Sweeps
Nursing. Home

PUX1CO, Mo-, July 81 tR.-
Fire swept quickly through the
Reagan Nursing Home late last
night and trapped IL of the IL
residents, most of them in OF
beside their beds.
Nine of those who persisted
were 70 to 81. All were from
Puxico or nearby towns. One
was belfast.
Only Mrs. Charity Frederick
Ia 77-year-old mental patient
from Poplar Bluff, escaped
Two men scrambled up to the
roof Of the front porch, broke
out a window of her second floor
room and pulled her to safety.
The body of Mrs. Bertha Rea-
gan, SIS, who overhauled the old
three-story building and opened
her nursing home 81 months ago
was found in the f1rst-flool
kitchen. She apparently was
trying to get out the back door
but it was locked.
Grandson Is Victim
Mrs. Reagan's 7-year-old
grandson, David Johnson, was
found on the third floor.
All the others were on the
second floor. Two of them, Lois
Rodgers, 3. and D. o. Kinne-
mon, rs. both of Puxico. entered
the home only yesterday.
Everyone in the house appar-
emily was asleep when the fire
broke out.
John Ryan, chief of the fire
department at Poplar Bluff, SAID
he and Sergt. Jack Pritchard Of
the Missouri highway patrol
found a hole burned in the CELL
ing above a sofa on the first
floor. They theorized a Smolder-
ing cigarette had fallen on the
safa.
The flames were out of con-
troll when volunteer firemen re-
|ceived the alarm.
1.-THE whole interior was or
fire and flames seemed to be
shooting clear to the third fiool
when I got there" said Jack
Hardy, a carpenter, who was
among the first on the scene.
Nearby Buildings Saved
The firemen were hard pressed
to save nearby buildings, in
Guiding a funeral home nexI
door. 1t was 90 minutes before
they had the flames under con-
troll and could begin the search
for bodies.
Mrs. Regan's husband, David
Reagan, was on his job as q
night Waterman at a handle
factory.
Most of the $50 residents OF
this little numbering town turned
out to help. Puxico is in the
Southeast Missouri Ozarks about
125 airline miles south of St
Louis and about Is miles north
east of Poplar Bluff.
Coroner Ray Rainey impanelec
"a jury at the scene and said he
would hold an inquest in a few
days. He said he could not tel
whether the IL burned to death
lor suffocated. Most. he said
seemed badly burned.
Doctor Leads Rescue
DR.. Vernon H. Skillings, 49,
year-old oSteopath, led the
rescue of Mrs. Frederick because
he knew which room she occu-
pied and saw there was not much
fire around it. He and the Rev
R. S. Ragsdale boosted Mr.. Hardy
and Gary Doublin. 19-year-olc
filling station mechanic, onto the
roof of the porch.
Ebert Howard, garageman anC
member of the volunteer fire de-
partment, said part of the Sec
ona floor collapsed about the
time Mr.. Hardy and young Doub.
lin got Mrs. Frederick out.
II came out of my house wher
L heard the siren and 1 saw the
flames already popping through
the ROOM" Mr.. Howard said.
The nursing home was in.
spected and approved by thu
Missouri State Board of Health
less than two months ago, HI
said.
The dead, in addition to Mrs
Bertha Reagan, her grandson
Miss Rogers and Mr.. Kinnemon
were Tom Gard, SO, Fisk
Mo-; Mrs. Harriet Shaffer
early 80s, Puxico; D. o
Kinnemon, rs, Puxico; Mrs
Paralee Digger. IS, Fisk. the only
bed patient; George Casey. 81
Puxico; James F. Stringfellow
70. Chaffee, Mo-; Mrs. Rosa All;
wood. 70. Chaffee; Nancy A. Dea.
son. 81, Dexter, Mo-. and Matte
Mae Young. in 7Os. Dexter.