Roanoke, VA - Mary Funk Death, 6 years old, 1897

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Diane C Robertson,
Sunshine@rev.net  October 2002

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The Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield, West Virginia

From: Roanoke World.  Feb 7, 1897

A Frightful Accident
       --------
A Little Girl's Clothing Ignites and
She is Burned to Death

A gloom has been cast over the town of Vinton [Note: Vinton, VA] by the fatal burning yesterday afternoon of 
little Mary Funk, the six year old child of Mr. & Mrs. J. J. Funk.

Yesterday afternoon about 3:30 o'clock Mrs. Funk went out to a next-door neighbors, leaving little Mary
and a sister two years older in the house together.  A few moments afterwards she was alarmed by the
screams of the children, and when she rushed out a terrible sight confronted her.

Little Mary was completely enveloped in flames.  Her clothing had caught from an open Franklin stove, 
and the children knowing where their mother was, ran out of the house, evidently intending to go to her.

J. W. Neighbors was near the house at the time and was attracted by the screams.  He saw the little girl in 
flames and went to her as rapidly as possible.  He pulled off a heavy overcoat and threw it around her and
succeeded in smothering the flames.

He was too late, however.  When he reached her nearly all her clothing was ablaze, and burned almost to a 
crisp.  Before the fire could be extinguished, practically all the child's clothing was consumed.

A physician was summoned, and everything was done that could be to alleviate her sufferings.  She lingered
until 8:30 this morning and died.  Mrs. Funk had her hands badly burned in her efforts to put out the fire.