BURNED TO DEATH.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 137, 28 September 1876, Page 2

BURNED TO DEATH.

A little boy three and a-half years'of age was burnt to death in Sydney on the sth inst., under most distressing circumstances. After lie was put to bed in the evening his mother went out' to attend a service of sacred song, leaving the house in charge of her mother-in-law, an old lady of sixty-five. Her husband was also away from home. The Sydmy Herald relates that shortly befor<f'.eigli< o'clock, Mrs. Harnier went to cover up the child in bed, taking with her a lighted candle. So that she might adjust the clothes on the child with her right hand, she took tlie candle in her left. While standing by the bedside, and throwing the clothes over the little boy with her right hand, the motion which the sweep of that hand gave to her body brought the candlt in the.left hand in contact with the valance which was hanging from the top of the bed. This caught fire, and in a trice tin bedding was in flames. It is probable thai the suddenness with which the flame spread caused the grandmother to lose lur presence of mii:d. She tried, in her excitement to pull down the burning valance, and probably by so doing unintentionally hastened the progress of the flames. Finding such efforts ineffectual, sh.2 ran to tbf front door and began to scream out ' lire. A man ran into the house and pulled ha out, thinking she was in danger of beinj burnt to death. On lier calling out thii the child remained in bed in the house, an attempt was made to reach it, but oj this time the bed and all around was in i mass of liame, which continued rapidly t« increase in intensity until the whole a the house, which was a small weather board cottage with shingled roof, was completely destroyed. The remains of the child, burnt to a cinder, were ultimately found. So rapid was the spread of.tfc flames that a little English terrier. wliic> was a pet of the household, wai unable-t' efiect its escape, and also perished. Then is much commiseration in the neighbor hood for the condition of the Hanners, who have thus, in one evening, been rendered both childless and homeless. T ie? liad had other children, but they are dead