Freestone County, Texas	 	
Obituaries


The Teague Chronicle - August 15, 1919 edition

NEGRO CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATH

Three Negro children ranging in ages from three to twelve were burned to death
Friday night between 11:00 and 12:00 in a farm house on the John Jackson farm
four miles southwest of Teague.

The mother, Mary L. Jackson and four of her eight children went to church
Friday night. The mother and oldest daughter to Pleasant Valley Church and
others to the convention in Teague leaving four young ones at home. When the
mother returned about 12:00 to the house of the neighbors she discovered an
illumination in the direction of her home and exclaiming that her home was on
fire leaped out of the wagon and ran to the scene. Arriving she found the house
enveloped in flames, her five year old boy in the yard and three others in the
house. One three year old crying and the one in the yard calling to her to come
out of the house. The mother broke a window and brought out the baby who died
next morning having been burned over all parts of its body excepting the face
and breast. Later some Negro men arrived and raked the smoldering ruins
recovering the charred bodies of Robert Lee twelve years of age and Lida Belle
eight years of age, both of whom were sleeping in a room together and had
perished clutched to each other. The limbs were burned away and the skulls were
burned away exposing the charred brains. They were not recognizable but for the
size of the chunks of flesh one of which was a little larger than the other.
The remains of both were placed in the same coffin and buried at Asia cemetery.

The family had been in the habit of burning mosquito smokes in the house while
they slept and it is known that the mother left the children with a smoke of
this kind burning. It is supposed that after the children were asleep the smoke
flamed and caught the building. This was the explanation given by the survivor.
He said he ran in the yard and called his sister who was in the room with him
while the others were in another room. 

The building and its contents were destroyed. Mary Jackson who was left with no
earthly effects except the clothes she and her surviving children wore is
asking the help of those who feel disposed. Donations should be left with
Hendrix and Webb or A.P. McSpadden in Teague.

This was a very sad affair and is regretted by all who have heard of it.