The Record Union

BADLY BURNED.
The Result of a Three-Year-Old Boy's Playing With Matches.

W. H. McClure, who resides between J and K streets, on Fourteenth, has a little 3-year-old son who had a narrow escape from a horrible death Saturday afternoon about 4 o'clock.

There are a number of larger boys in the block who play with matches, and who have at various times persuaded the little fellow to procure them for them. Through getting them for others he has imbibed a love for lighting them for himself, and they have to be kept carefully from him.

Mrs. McClure heard him screaming in the backyard, while engaged in her housework, and, running to see what was the matter, discovered him almost enveloped with flame. She strove to tear off his burning clothes, but finding that of no avail, snatched a rug off the clothes line and wrapped him in it, smothering the flames.

A doctor was telephoned for, but none could be found, and the little sufferer lay in agony for an hour before one arrived. He was badly burned on both arms, the flesh being almost cooked. He was also badly burned on the throat, ears and around his mouth. The physician says that he fortunately did not inhale the flame, however, and will recover.

Mrs. McClure was badly burned about the hands and arms in trying to rescue him. He told his father that he climbed up on the table and got at the matches, where they had been placed, as was thought, out of his reach.