HE WAS A BRAVE MAN: JOHN TULLIS MEETS DEATH IN ATTEMPTED RESCUE, BOTH PERISHED IN FLAMES: HE WAS AWAKENED TO FIND HOME IN FLAMES, AND AFTER SAVING LIVES OF HIS WIFE AND LITTLE SONS, RETURNS FOR HIS ONLY DAUGHTER: Further particulars have been received in LeMars concerning the tragedy which resulted in the death of John Tullis and his daughter, Esther, near Artesian, South Dakota, mention of which was made in the Sentinel last issue. John Tullis and his daughter were burned to death last Tuesday night. The origin of the fire will never be known, but it is supposed that some matches were lying on a shelf in the kitchen, and that mice started the blaze. Mr. Tullis, who was sleeping upstairs, was the first to discover the fire, by smelling smoke. He hastily ran downstairs to investigate, and to his horror found the house enveloped in flames. He at once thought of the children upstairs and succeeded in getting three of them out, each time he had to fight his way through the flames in the kitchen to the upstairs. The last time he went back to get the daughter. By this time the house was burning so rapidly that just as he got in the house fell in, and he and his daughter were buried beneath the ruins and left to burn to death. It is thought the girl must have been suffocated or she surely would have awakened. Mrs. Tullis and the baby were sleeping downstairs, and they were awakened by Mr. Tullis. As the bedroom door was opened the flames immediately shot in there, and Mrs. Tullis only had time to grab the baby and make their escape. Seeing it was utterly impossible for her to do anything, Mrs. Tullis picked up the baby and clothed in nothing but their night clothes proceeded to run to the nearest neighbor, a mile away. Seeing she could not cover the distance as quickly as she wished, she laid the babe in the grass by the roadside and continued on her sad errand. After reaching this home word was sent all along the line, but help was too late as the entire home was burned to ashes. The bodies were at once dug out from the debris. When found Mr. Tullis' head was burned off his body and also one arm. The rest of the body was also burned to almost nothing. The little girl, who was eleven years old, and was the only daughter, was burnt to a crisp. The charred bodies were picked up and placed in one casket, and were shipped to Merrill. The funeral services were held at the Methodist Episcopal church on Friday afternoon at two o'clock. The local pastor, Rev. Glen M. Squires, officiating. It was one of the saddest funerals ever held in Merrill. The remains were laid to rest in the Merrill cemetery. The wife and mother is nearly crazed with grief by the manner her husband and daughter met their awful death. All that was saved from the fire were the night clothes which they had on. They lived near Artesian, South Dakota, but formerly lived near Merrill and are well known. Mrs. Tullis will be remembered as Miss Ida Burrill. Mr. Tullis is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Tullis, of Merrill, and was about forty six years of age. -LeMars Sentinel, 11/10/1910