BURNED TO DEATH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 15 June 1925, Page 5

BURNED TO DEATH.

CHILD’S TRAGIC END. At about 4.30 p.m. on Saturday, Mrs Bailey,, a widow with four children, who resides at Tawa Fiat, left her home to visit Wellington. She took the youngest child with her, leaving the •others, aged 3, 4 and 3 years, in the house.

It is understood that there was a fire in the range at the time, and all appears to have gone well until about 8 p.m., when it was discovered that the house was in flames.

Milton Mexted, a youth who lived ■ close by, was the first to rush to the scene, and found that there were human beings within the burning building. With considerable difficulty he made ,his way into the house, which by this time was a mass of flames, and found two children asleep. He succeeded in rescuing the boy, .and Mr Staples, who had then arrived, managed to save the little girl. The third child could not be seen,' .and the neighbours thought that the mother had alos taken it to town with her. The charred remains of the little victim were discovered in the smouldering ashes yesterday morning by Constable O’Donnell.

From the position where the body was found, it would appear that the . child had attempted to escape, but was ' probably suffocated by the -smoke.