The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1887-03-26 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

BURNS' TESTIMONY. About eight minutes to twelve last night I was going up Chester-street from the direction of Waterloo-place, trying the shop doors as I went along, on the right hand side of the street, when 1 heard screams and cries of " Police " and " Murder " proceeding from the direction of St. Mary's-gate. I ran along towards St. Mary's-avenue, and could plainly see the reflection of a large fire. Upon arriving at the avenue there were two women in the court shouting. I did not wait to gee who they were, but ran past them. Seeing that the house No. 3 was in flames I at once burst open the door with my shoulder. Just then the boy, Robert, jumped from the bedroom window and fell at my feet. I did not wait to see whether he was hurt or not but told some bystanders to take care of him. The kitchen was all in flames, as was also the stairs opposite the front door. Seeing I could not possibly get up stairs, I ran to the Central Police Station, blowing my whistle as I ran. My object in going there was to obtain ladders. Upon arriving at the office I found that P. 0.19 (Coathup),who has charge of the fire appliances during the night, had heard my whistle and got out the fire reel. I saw the fire reel was out as soon as I turned the corner. I told a young man who had accompanied me to go with P.C. Coathup and show him where the fire was. I gripped the handcart on which the ladders are placed and which is stationed in front of the police buildings, and with the assistance of a young man named Smith I followed as quickly as possible. On arriving at the house we were informed that there were three children in the place. We put one of the ladders to the front window out of which the boy Robert had jumped. Coathup ascended first and found it impossible to enter for smoke and flames; in fact, I believe some of his hair and moustache were burnt. I also tried to enter the window and found it utterly impossible for any man to live in the room for a minute. When we found we could not enter by the window Coathnp went and fixed a stand 'pipe in St. Mary's-gate, and I ran to the back with a ladder to the bedroom there. I and five civilians tried to enter by the window, but could not do so. I then returned to the front and took the hose from Inspector McClelland, who was pouring water into the kitchen. The inspector went to the back, and in a minute or so I heard someone shout "There's a child taken out alive." I gave the hose away, and found that a young man had a girl called Pattie in his arms. I immediately sent a messenger for Dr. Cornwall to tell him of the fire and to be in readiness, and also sent for two cabs to Woodside to convey the injured children to the hospital. As we got to the corner of Hamilton-square we met the doctor and carried the child into his surgery. Shortly afterwards she expired. I took the body to the deadhouse in one of the cabs, and then drove back to the fire, but it had been put out. The other two bodies were in No. 4 bones opposite, and P.C.'. 16 (Phelan) and 17 (Schofield) and myself obtained a stretcher  and carried them also to the dead-house, placing them side by side with their sister. At the outside not more than five minutes elapsed between my bursting open the door and the arrival at the house of the ladders and fire reels. It was five minutes to twelve when I got into the office, and as the clock was striking twelve we were conveying the ladder from the front to the back of the house. I am certain there was not the slightest delay in taking the ladders and fire reel to the house. We could not possibly have done it in a shorter time. INSPECTOR McCLELLAND'S