Jackson County IL Archives News.....Pruella Elizabeth Jones, the Only Child, Fatally Burned At Play Sunday October 10, 1920 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Riseling riseling@insightbb.com July 13, 2006, 5:27 am Murphysboro Daily Independent October 10, 1920 Pruella Elizabeth Jones, the Only Child, Fatally Burned At Play Sunday, With Broken Toy Flare Fired Skirts; Child Fled, Frantic Returned to Rear Porch Screaming; Mother's Hands Cooked in Frantic Effort To Save Little One - Victims Lips Utter Prayer Before State of Come Sets In-Rites Tuesday Pretty Pruella Elizabeth JONES, golden haired fairy girl whose bright being enriched the lives of those who begot her, William H. JONES and nee Minnie RICHARDSON, 626 North 11th street, was fatally burned at the home at 3:45 p.m. Sunday. It was 1:30 o'clock a.m. of another day when her life passed. The Fatal Broken Toy. Pruella Elizabeth had a celluloid toy. She was only 6, you know, and like other little girls, had her playthings. But it was broken and she had a tot companion decided to burn it. The combustible was held below her waist-line, too near her pretty skirts when the flaring match touched it. The plaything burned with a hiss, spurting fire as celluloid will. The skirts ignited. The child ran afraid. Clear from the rear porch to the rear fence she ran. The wind resistance fanned the smoldering skirts to a blaze. Fright became terror. Aflame, she turned at the rear fence and ran frantically, screaming, back to the porch where she fell on the floor, spent, all but dead. The Little One's Prayer. Alarmed by the screams the mother dashed from the house and found the child. She dashed a bucket of water over her. Next she wrapped her in a quilt. The mother's fingers had become shreds of burned flesh, the burns unheeded. Her hands and forearms were seared, the arms half way to the elbow. Dry sobs in her throat, the mother, having done all she could, mothered the child while the doctor came. He looked and shook his head. Consciousness remained with the little one until 5:30 p.m. She recalled the hour in Sunday school at the Christian church that morning and how the lesson read for little boys and girls. Her pretty lips muttered a prayer that mamma might live a long time. And she, too, wanted to live. Then, as darkness approached, Pruella closed her eyes and entered into a state of coma, painless, fearless, silent-on the way to the Land of Never Die. The angel of record wrote "Pruella Elizabeth Jones" and it was half after One on the Eve Watch of another beautiful October day. Their Only Little GIrl. As the afternoon waned Murphysboro heard of the tragedy. The day, pretty as it was, was spoiled for hundreds who knew and esteemed the parents. There knew Pruella was the only child, and conceived a degree of the parents' sorrow. Pruella Elizabeth JONES was born September 11, 1914, when the couple lived on Walnut street. She was 6 years and 1 month old. Mr. Jones, local cashier of the American Express Co., married Minnie RICHARDSON, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Calvin RICHARDSON, now of Chester, ten years ago. Their first born entered the fourth year of their wedlock as the marvel chapter in their book of happiness. The child was in the first grade, Logan school, Mrs. Maude RUST, teacher-just a little A B C girl. The mother continued in a state of near prostration Monday morning. Her burns had been attended to, at least temporarily. It was believed so serious are these, that splints would have to be used. Persons in the home, relatives and friends congregated there during the night, more than once they have turned away when the mother, with her hands useless, sought to fondle the child's face which except for the burn on the chin, was untouched by the fire. Below, however, down the body and limbs to the line of the skirt rim the flesh was seared. Funeral Rites Tuesday. Bertha CAGLE of Chester was with Mrs. Jones when the tragedy was enacted. Mrs. S. R. PLANT, the father's sister, is there. Mrs. Plant believes that had the child made an outcry the instant the burning toy ignited her clothing she could have been saved. She thinks the little one, having been warned about fire, first ran away from the porch with the momentary thought of hiding her scorched clothing. Calvin RICHARDSON, Mrs. Jones' father, employed at the penitentiary at Menard, arrived here on a freight train late Sunday. A Chester jitney man had demanded $25 to drive him here. James BOULTON, uncle of the mother, and Mrs. Boulton of Boulton Springs are at the home. Mr. & Mrs. Hugh BRADLEY arrived late yesterday afternoon from Carbondale. He is Mrs. Jones' brother-in-law. Mr. & Mrs. Ed ROACH of Carbondale are also present. George JONES, of St. Louis, brother of the grieving father, was to arrive today. Funeral rites will be conducted Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Christian church, Elder L. A. CHAPMAN officiating. The body will be buried out in Tower Grove cemetery where the late roses are blooming-a flower among flowers. The community prayer is this: That's God's everlasting promise in His pledge, "Suffer the little ones to come unto me" may stint the parents sorrow with a balm that cures. Additional Comments: NOTE: This story is regarding my family. The young girl that died was my cousin and the "tot companion" mentioned in the story that was playing in the back yard with her at the time of the accident was my mother MARY ELLA CAGLE NOLAN RISELING. Transcribed by Mary Riseling from grandfather C. E. RISELING's collection of old newspapers. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/jackson/newspapers/pruellae69nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb