LEMASTERS, Rachel

FATAL BURNING

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Rachel Lemasters of White River
Township, Burned to Death

A terrible accident from fire occurred Wednesday afternoon in White River Township, resulting in the death of Miss Rachel Lemasters, the details of which are as follows:

Miss Lemasters had been at the home of William Dorrell, a neighbor, waiting on a sick child. She had lost a a great deal of sleep, being up all Tuesday night and without rest the next morning. Wednesday afternoon she returned home and her brother and sister, Lewis and Nannie Lemasters, went to Dorrell’s to take her place. After they had gone she prepared a pallet by folding a comfort and lay down in front of the fire to rest and soon fell asleep. She was awakened soon afterwards to find her clothing on fire. She at once wrapped the comfort about her and ran out of the house. Noticing the the carpet on fire she, with presence of mind closed the door after her so as to prevent a draft feeding the flames and threw herself on the ground, rolling over and over in the snow attempting to smother the flames. However, the fire had obtained such a start that she did not succeed in putting out the flames. Lon Fulmer, son of Henry Fulmer, a near neighbor, had about this time returned home from an errand and was putting up a horse. Hearing a cry from some one he looked in the direction of the sound and noticed by smoke that a house was on fire. Calling his father, both hastened over to the Lemaster house and on arriving found Miss Lemasters lying in the yard with almost every shred of clothing burned off and suffering from her terrible burns. She cried to them to save the house and leave her alone. Realizing they should make the attempt, they at once began with two buckets pouring water on the flames. When they opened the door the smoke was stifling. The fire had worked its way to a table and in a few minutes more it would have been beyond control. However, they soon succeeded in having it under control and then carried Miss Lemasters into the house. She was seen to be terribly burned. Her brother and sister were at once sent for, also a physician. She was able to detail the circumstances as above given, but her injuries were such as to cause her death. She lingered in intense suffering until between three and four o’clock Thursday morning, when death came to her relief.

Miss Lemasters was about fifty-years old and a half-sister of Wash. Lemasters of this city. Funeral services will be held Sunday‐probably in the forenoon‐at Salem church, near Bluff Creek.

Submitted by Lois Johnson