Elsie Wright (1889)

WRIGHT

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 12/7/2007 at 08:26:08

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Friday, November 29, 1889
Page 4

Frightful Accident.

On Monday last a child of Mr. Jackson Wright, of Jackson township, a little girl about four years of age, sometime in the morning got so near the stove that her clothes caught fire. She ran out and a few rods away, her clothes still burning. Before she could be relieved she was burnt so badly that she died about four o’clock that afternoon.

The death of a child in any form is a sad affliction to parents, but in a form so terrible as in the case of this little girl, it is one of the most distressing circumstances we have ever been called upon to record. The parents will have the sympathy of many friends.
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The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, November 28, 1889
Page 1, Column 6

BURNT TO DEATH

A Horrible Accident Happens to Little Elsie Wright, of Jackson Township.

Mr. A. N. Nelson of Jackson township, brought word to the News of a probable fatal accident to little Elsie Wright, the four year-old daughter of Jack Wright living in the same Township, two2 miles North of middle River post office.

Mr. and Mrs. Wright were both down at the barn, milking a little after day break on Monday morning. They had left their three little children at the house, the oldest a little girl of six years, Elsie and the baby. They were startled by screams from the house and running out of the bar discovered the oldest girl running toward them with the babe in her arms screaming for help, closely followed by little Elsie who was a mass of flames. It was the work of a moment for Mr. Wright to rush to her and smother the flames with his coat and tear the clothes from her body. In doing this his hands were badly burnt.

The coal stove, one of the common cannon variety, had been heated red-hot and in playing near if the little girl’s dress had touched it and caught on fire. She was covered with flames in a moment and rushing out into the open air only aggravated them. Her clothing was nearly all burned from her when Mr. Wright reached her and her body was burnt to a crisp nearly all over.

Dr. Ramsey, of Webster was hastily summoned and was at the house in a few minutes but he was of the opinion at the time our informant left that it was only a question of a few hours when death would relieve the intense suffering of the unfortunate little girl. It is the saddest accident that the News has been called to record for a long time.