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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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Detroit Free Press
Monday, 31 December 1894


         Newaygo, Mich., December 30 - (Special.)
         - Meager details of a fatal fire that occurred
       three miles from here have reached this city.
       It appears that CHARLES WHITE and family, the
       latter consisting of a wife and one child, lived
       on a farm and that all retired early. While every-
       body was asleep fire broke out in the kitchen down
       stairs and spread rapidly until the dwelling was a
       mass of flames. WHITE and his wife slept on the
       lower floor and were first aroused.
         Both escaped in their night clothes before the
       thought occurred to MRS. WHITE that her child was
       in the burning building. Without thinking of the
       danger WHITE dashed back into the house and managed
       to reach the room upstairs. He found the bed but
       the child was not in it. Then he came to the window
       and told his wife he had not found the child, but
       would search again.
         He finally located the child on the floor with
       its head covered with clothes, as if to shut out
       the smoke and fire. Picking up the infant he started
       for the stairs, but the stairs were burned away and
       all egress was shut off.
         He was almost immediately overcome with the smoke
       and fire and before the eyes of his wife, who could
       see him through the windows, he fell into the blaz-
       ing mass of timbers below and was burned to death
       with the child in his arms.
       
       ------
       Another Account
       
       Newaygo, Mich., December 30 - CHARLES WHITE and his
       6-year-old son were cremated by the burning of their
       dwelling at 12 o'clock this morning. WHITE was
       awakened by his wife and ran upstairs where four
       children were sleeping. Three made their escape, but
       before the father could find the fourth, the stairway
       was in flames. He knocked a board off the end of the
       house but before he could get out was overcome with
       heat and smoke. His wife realized his danger and
       called him repeatedly, but he would not sacrifice
       his son to save his own life.
       
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