Emily Fisher

"CHILD BURNT TO DEATH AT ILFRACOMBE.

PRAISE FOR A CONSTABLE.

At the Tyrrell Cottage Hospital, Ilfracombe, on Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Slade-King, deputy coroner, held an inquest touching the death of Beatrice Charlotte Fisher.

Mr. G. Mogridge was chosen foreman of the jury.

Emily Schiller said the deceased was her daughter by her first husband. Her present husband was a sailor, and they resided at No. 19 Broad Street. Her daughter was nine years of age and went to school. Witness last saw her alive the previous night at her own home. She was lifting a kettle on the bodley when she caught her apron on fire in front. Witness was in the shop at the time attending to a customer. She heard her daughter call out "Oh mother." Witness at once went to her, and she ran to the front door. Witness followed and called for help. Her daughter was on fire, and witness tried to pull her clothes off. The outside part of her clothes were on fire. A young man on board the vessel Kate came with some water in a bucket and threw it over the child. Her daughter screamed frightfully and witness fainted not knowing what took place afterwards. Her daughter was most careful in her doings, and had not warned her about the bodley. Only her pinaforte was on fire at first, but it spread very rapidly.

Daniel Fowler a sailor on board the ketch Kate now lying in the Harbour stated that on the previous evening about quarter past seven o'clock he was coming from the Strand to Broad Street when he saw a little girl run out of a house all on fire and her mother shortly afterwards. Witness asked the mother for some water, and she gave him a bucket about three parts full. He threw the water over the child and it put the flames out. A constable came and placed his cape around the child, took her up in his arms and carried her away. As soon as the water was thrown over the child, the policeman picked her up.

Dr. Clayton Jones said at 7·45 the previous evening he was called by Mr. Crang, chemist, by telephone, to proceed to Broad Street. He arrived as soon as possible by bicycle, and found the child with very little clothes on. The girl was conscious and said she could not tell how the accident happened. She was removed to the Hospital, where she was pulseless, but complained of no pain. She was severely burnt on the front part of the body, face and chest. She died at 9·30 that morning. When he arrived in Broad Street, he found that the child's injuries had been skilfully dressed by a policeman. The cause of death was shock to the system brought about by severe burns.

P.C. Labdon stated that at 7·15 the previous evening he was on duty in Broad Street when he saw a child run out of a house, her clothes being in flames. Witness immediately rushed to the child and was about to throw his cape over her when a previous witness threw some water out of a bucket over the girl, and extinguished most of the fire. Witness then wrapped her in his cape and carried her into her mother's house. He then asked someone to go to Mr. Crang's and telephone for a doctor. Witness next cut away the rest of the clothing and asked for some cotton wool and sweet oil which were brought. He dressed the worst of the wounds and wrapped the child in a couple of blankets. Dr. Clayton Jones then arrived and had the child removed to the Hospital.

The Coroner remarked that it was a very painful case, and, no doubt, the flames from the bodley puffed out and caught her on fire. Unfortunately the child rushed into the street which fanned the flames. The constable's evidence was highly praiseworthy.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, and highly commended P.C. Labdon for his promptness, humanity and skill."

Source: "The Ilfracombe Chronicle", 25th October, 1902.

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The wording on the headstone reads:

IN

LOVING MEMORY OF

ALBERT SCHILLER

DIED 6. APRIL 1951

AGED 78.

ALSO EMILY

WIFE OF THE ABOVE

DIED 5. SEP. 1954

AGED 85.

BRYANT

HIGH ST. B'PLE