Terrible Death | Grayson County, TXGenWeb

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, July 4, 1886
pg.1

TERRIBLE DEATH
Two Young Ladies Roasted Alive in a Burning Dwelling Near Sherman

Whitesboro News - Last Sunday night about 12 o'clock, the residence of Mr. Dick Miller, 7 miles west of Sherman, was destroyed by fire, and his 2 daughters perished in the flames.
The following is an account of the affair, as related by Mr. J.C. Anderson, who witnessed the horrible spectacle:
"I was stopping at the residence of Mr. Dick Miller, about 7 miles out of the city last night and we remained up, setting on the front porch until a reasonable late hour, probably before 11 o'clock, before we retired. After we went to bed I thought I smelled something like smoke, but just about that time a train on the Texas and Pacific railroad passed, going into Sherman, and I thought that perhpas I had smelled the smoke from the engine.
I would have gotten up and made an investigation, but I disliked to on account of being a stranger in the house. About 12 o'clock a rumbling noise became audible and it soon developed into the unmistakeable roar of fire. In a few moments the occupants of the other rooms downstairs became cognizant of the dreadful presence of the fire fiend. Mr. Miller opened the door, which leads from his sleeping apartments into the hallway, but the intense volume of smoke which rushed into the draft from the burning stairway, drove himself and wife back into the room, compelling them leave by way of a window. In the excitement of the first few moments it was forgotten that 4 members of the family were in one of the second story rooms and completely at the mercy of the great flames, which had already burst into their sleeping apartment. Mr. Miller and his wife made frantic endeavors to reach their children by the way of the stairway, but it was impossible. Then, through my assistance, Mr. Miller was lifted to the top of the front porch, out upon which opens 2 windows of the second story. These Mr. Miller kicked in and rushed into the room, regardless of the seething flames and blinding heat, with which the room was filled. I remained at the foot of the post at which Mr. Miller had ascended, and braced myself to receive the children as Mr. Miller handed them down. The smoke was so dense that the agonized father, assisted by his oldest son, who happened to be on the first floor at the time, groped about in the room and picked up the bodies, one by one, and handed them to me. This was kept up until 3 girls, aged respectfully 12, 14 and 16 years and a small boy, aged about 4 years were taken out. Mr. Miller and his son were so blinded by the smoke that they did not realize the fearful work of the flames, until the work of resuscitation was commenced, when the terrible discovery was made that 2 of the girls were dead. The little boy's injuries are confined to very ugly blisters on the right arm."
As to the origin or cause of the fire, Mr. Anderson was unable to give the reporter any information except that the belief of the family is that the fire originated from a match probably lighted by one of the girls on their way upstairs, and thrown down on the floor. There is another that it was caused by the explosion of a kerosene lamp in the hallway.
The coroner's jury returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts, and the remains of the unfortunate young ladies were buried at Sherman Monday.