CHILD FATALLY BURNED.

Waikato Independent, Volume VI, Issue 384, 11 June 1907, Page 5

CHILD FATALLY BURNED.

A sad accident occurred at Ivarapiro on Sunday, whereby George Edward Price, the three-year-old son of Mr and Mrs George Price died as the result of injuries received through- his nightdress catching fire during the absence of the parents, who were engaged in milking. An inquest was held at the residence of Mr G. Dickinson yesterday afternoon, before Mr John Ferguson, J.P., Actingcoroner, and the following jury : —Messrs J. J. Nicol (foreman), T. Hartly, C. Boyce, Geo. Dickinson, S. Fletcher, and O, Johnson. Harriet Clara Price, mother of deceased, said she went out to milk about 7 o’clock on Sunday morning, leaving the four children in bed, in the sitting-room, where there was a lire. Awhile after, she heard the little fellow screaming, and ran towards the house. His clothes were on fire and she wrapped a sheep-

skin mat round him to extinguish it. The child was wearing a cotton nightshirt and a llannclcttc at the time, and the front portion of them was almost burned off. She learned from one of the other children that the hoy had been playing with the fire and had tried to pub it out. George Price, father of the deceased child, said he went out to milk about 7.80

a.m. on Sunday. He heard terrific screaming, and hurried towards the house, His wife got to the scene of the accident first, on account of him being lame. His wife had the little hoy in her amis, and wrapped in the sheepskin mat. The child’s clothes were still smoking. He applied lime-water and oil, and hroughl the child into Cambridge for mcdica treatment. By the Foreman : There was a fin in the kitchen as well as the sittin; room. The accident happened ahou l

half-an-hour after ho left the house. . Dr. Roberts said the child was brought into him shortly before nine o’clock on Sunday morning. It was in a state of shock, and was shivering, moaning, and calling out for its father. Upon examination, witness found the hoy to he suffering from extensive burns, practically the whole of the skin of the front portion of the body, including the face, being burned,

the most severe being on the surface of the abdomen, which was covered with broken and unbroken blisters. The child was calling out lor something to drink, and witness gave it some warm milk and water and a small dose of morphia. He dressed the wounds and the child rallied from the'shock, and said the pain was gone. The boy was then removed to Victoria House. At 2 p.m. he seemed fairly comfortable, but about a couple of hours later, he collapsed and succumbed. The cause of death was undoubtedly shock, and heart failure, due to extensive burning. By Constable McNamara: Thought the father did the wisest thing in bringing the child straightway into Cambridge for treatment; it would have meant delay in attending to the case if Mr Price had lirst ridden in for witness to go out to Karapiro. Dr. Roberts also added that the parents did everything possible under the circumstances to alleviate the sufferings of the child, and -Mrs Price was deserving of great praise for the presence of mind she displayed in extinguishing the flames. The jury endorsed the doctor’s remarks.

A verdict was returned that the child died from shock, and heart failure, due to

extensive burning, caused by its nightdress accidentally catching fire. Heartfelt sympathy will be extended to Mr and Mrs Price, who have ' had more than their share of misfortune. About a year ago, Mr Price sustained a compound fracture of the leg, which laid him up for a longtime, and left him lame.

1 Mrs Price sustained some rather severe burns in trying to extinguish the flames. The funeral will take place this afternoon, leaving Mr H. Bell’s residence at o o’clock.