WOMAN’S BRAVERY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 97, 7 April 1934, Page 8

WOMAN’S BRAVERY

Life for Horses TRAGIC MELBOURNE CASE Awakaned by a neighbour to hear the screams of her two beloved houses being burned alive in their stalls, Mrs William Murrell, a well-known Melbourne horsewoman, dashed headlong into their blazing stables at Latrobe street, Mentone, one morning recently. Her husband followed ami dragged her out. Mi’s Murrell was seriously burnt, and died two days later. Both horses were burned to death, and with them went Billy, a dog, who was round dead at the end of his chain.

'the horses were Garry Owon, on whom Mrs Murrell had won the 14 hands hack championship at the Royal Shows, Melbourne and Sydney, lor the past two years, as well as many races, and a two-year-old racing hlly 0 Biquant. Billy, a great favourite at the stables, was a Queensland heeler. The alarm was given at 2.30 a.in. by a neighbour, Mrs B. Greenwood, who was awakened by Billy’s frantic barking and the red glow from the lire. She rushed to the fence and called Mrs Murrell. Mr s Murrell ran 20 vards to the stables, which by this time were blazing fieicely. Crying, “Oh. my poor horses!’’ Mrs Murrell wrenched open the heavydoors. A wall of Hame leapt out, but Mrs Murrell dived inside and tried to light through the smoke to release the maddened animals. As Mr Murrell followed he was struck either by a horse or a falling beam. Dazed, he groped about in the blinding smoke for bis wife, grabbed her and forcibly boro her out of the building. “When Mrs Murrell was brought out,’’ an onlooker said, “her nightdress, body and hair seemed to be blazing. Mr Murrell called for a blanket, and tried to beat out the flames on his wife with his hands. Then he rolled her in a blanket, took her into the house, and, in spite of his own painful injuries, telephoned for the doctor, ambulance and fire brigade.” “1 have never met a pluckier woman than Mr s Murrell,” said Dr. Bernard Hudson, of Mentone, who attended the victims. “Although she was frightfully burnt about the hands, arms, legs and back, and her hair and face scorched, she was perfectly calm. She must have been suffering terrible pain, but there was no hysteria. “She asked first how her husband was and if the horses had been saved. Then she did everything possible to help me. Mr Murrell showed great fortitude, too. He did not think of himself, but did everything possible to help his wife The stables, comprising six stalls, and containing eight saddles, bridles, horse clothing, a quantity of feed and straw, were built of weatherboard five years’ ago. They were completely destroyed. Several other horses of Murrell’s string, including Poobah and Spcarsheil, were outside in an adjoining paddock. Piquant was a brown filly by Blackadder out of Wolluqua, and Garry Owen was presented to Mrs Murrell 'qwo or three years ago by Mr A. T. C'reswick, Garry Owen, who had won innumerable prizes m shows, as a champion hack, was a magnificent animal, and seemed to know what Mrs Murrell was saying whenever she spoke to him. In his paddock at Mentone he would run up to her when she appeared and literally shake his head, or nod it, when she asked him questions welltried ones, perhaps, but few horses are so wise. He was high-spirited, but with a temperament as calm as I'har Lap’s, and was famous at the Royal Show for his good looks, as well a s his skill in taking hurdles. Mrs Murrell had two rugs made from Garry Owen’s prize ribbons, one from champion ribbons only —15 or them—and one from his other awards, and already she had enough to 'make another rug. Two cupboards hold trophies ano certificates won by Garry Owen, and hi 3 portrait, painted bya local artist, hangs in her dining room. A cablegram published on Wednes day stated that Mr Murrell had died in hospital from the burns he had received.