Kinsley Good Neighbors to Aid of Survivors of Christmas Tragedy

Four Die in Fire—Four Suffer Severe Burns

(By The Globe's Service)

 

Kinsley, Dec. 27--Kinsley, long known as a good neighbor community, today planned a community wide effort to aid survivors of the town's worst Christmas tragedy.

 

Everywhere there was talk of helping one of Kinsley's oldest and best-loved characters, Mrs. Lillie Riley, city librarian for the past decade. Just before dawn Christmas morning, fire destroyed her home a half mile south of here, fatally burning her daughter, Mrs. Dewitt Craft and grandsons John, 15, and Rufus, three, of Garden City, and her son, Eugene Riley of Tampa, who died the following day in St. Anthony hospital, Dodge City.

 

The aged librarian herself is on an army cot in a basement house next door to the charred remainder of her home, too critically burned to be removed to a hospital. The wife and small daughter of Eugene Riley are in the Dodge City hospital still suffering from critical burns, and another daughter, Sarah Riley of Dodge City, is at the home of friends in Kinsley, suffering from less serious burns.

 

Under the Christmas tree at the time of the fire were presents for 22 members of the family, all of them in Kinsley for a reunion on Christmas day. Only the eight members of the family who were burned, were staying in the Riley home that night.

 

Burial at Garden City

 

Mrs. Craft and her two sons were buried at Garden City, Tuesday morning following a service in the Methodist church there, at 10 o'clock. Funeral services for Eugene Riley will be held in the Methodist Episcopal church here Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Burial will be in the Kinsley cemetery, with E. S McKillip, funeral director, in charge.

 

The Riley home had just been completely redecorated before the fire. Nothing was saved from the fire except the shoes Mrs. Riley had been wearing, and a coat belonging to her daughter, Sarah Riley. There was some insurance on the house.

 

The fire started from an explosion of a kerosene hot water heater in the bathroom. All the family was sleeping upstairs except Mrs. Riley and her daughter, Sarah, who had made a bed on a davenport downstairs because of the many Christmas guests.

 

The Dodge City woman was the first to waken, but by that time the fire had gained such headway that the entire wall by the side of the bed was in flames. She rushed from the house, but returned immediately to rescue her mother. After she had taken her mother outside, she rushed back into the house in an attempt to reach the telephone to sound a fire alarm. She was unable to reach the telephone because of the flames. Instead she grabbed her coat to get the keys to her car in hopes she might drive to town and give the alarm. As she passed a mirror in the blazing room she saw her hair was on fire, and was able to extinguish it, thereby averting serious burns. Her only injuries are believed to be a superficial burn on the forehead and smoke filled lungs. Physicians said Monday it would be necessary for her to remain in bed for a few days to recover from the shock.

 

As she ran out with her coat, she went to the side of the house, where Mrs. Eugene Riley had just jumped from an upstairs porch. Mr. Riley was holding her namesake, three-year old Sarah Jean over the edge of the upstairs porch, and calling for his wife to catch her. The woman's hands were so severely burned that she was unable to catch the child, and it was only because of the quick thinking of her aunt that she was saved. Miss Riley told him to drop the child. She caught the baby and extinguished its sleepers.

 

Awakened By Fire

 

Gaylord Hargadine, who had been sleeping in a basement house next door, was awakened by the fire, and by that time had jumped in his automobile and gone to Kinsley to sound the alarm.

 

There was no sound from the room occupied by Mrs. Craft and her sons, and physicians said Monday it was likely they were suffocated before they ever awakened. The bodies could not be removed from the house until later in the morning, because of the flames.

 

The Kinsley librarian was taken to the basement house next door, where physicians said she would have to remain. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Riley and daughter were brought to the Dodge City hospital immediately. Mr. Riley lost consciousness during the day, and never regained it before he died late last night.

 

Mrs. Lillie Riley is suffering from severe burns on the face, back and shoulders, as well as smoke-filled lungs. Mrs. Eugene Riley has critical face and hand burns. He hair was singed by the fire. Sara Jean Riley has less critical burns.

 

Mrs. Craft is survived by her husband and five other children, two sisters, Mrs. Gaylord Hargadine of Dodge City, and Sarah Riley, also of Dodge City, her mother, Mrs. Lillie Riley of Kinsley, an aunt, Mrs. Albert Drensing of Mullinville, and two uncles, J. E. Sayre and Charles Sayre, both of the Sawlog community north of Dodge City. In addition to these, Mr. Riley is survived by his widow and small daughter in the Dodge City hospital.

 

–Newspaper clipping saved by Verna (Dawson) Karns.

[The date 1938 was handwritten on the clipping. This is the most complete description of this tragedy we have seen.]