Three Children Burned to Death. JOPLIN (MO.), Jan. 27.—While Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Malley, living on Cedar Creek, in Newton County, Mo., were at church last night, their three small children, whom they had left locked in the house at home, were burned to death. On returning home at 11 o'clock the parents found the house in ruins.
From the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California.
The following narrative was written by Edna Lett Stauffer, Leni’s niece, and is part of a much longer history of the lives of her family. Leni was the mother of Clyde, Nola, Virnie (also spelled “Vernie”), and Vera Nalley. The date of the fire given by Edna is most likely an error, as the newspaper story of the death of the children was picked up nationally, and appeared in the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California. The date Edna provides could be the date when the children were buried.
“[Leni] and Tom lived in and around Neosho, Missouri most of their lives. They were living 8 miles northwest of Neosho, in a small house, during the winter of 1898 and 1899. During a part of January and February they were attending a revival meeting in the neighborhood. At that time they had 3 children: Clyde, 8 years old, Nola, 6 years old and Vernie, 4 years old, whom they had been taking with them every night to the meeting.
On the evening of February 2, 1899, the children begged to stay at home, for they were tired of going every night. So their parents consented, leaving them alone, cautioning them to be very careful about the fire and the lamp.
When the services were over and they started home, they soon noticed the glow of a fire and rushed home to find the house in flames, too far along to do anything about it. They could see the three little forms in the bed but could not reach them. Their mother had to be restrained, to keep her from rushing in after them.
They never knew exactly what caused the fire but did not think it was anything the children had done, for after the fire died down, they found the three little bodies in the bed together, where they should have been and the lamp on the mantle. There was an open fireplace and the only thing they could figure out was that a live ember had popped out into the room. The children must have suffocated, because indications were they had not tried to get out of the bed. Lena never did get over this tragic experience.
[Their mother Leni] was buried in Cedar Creek Cemetery by the side of her 3 children who had been burned and buried there years before.”
From the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California.
The following narrative was written by Edna Lett Stauffer, Leni’s niece, and is part of a much longer history of the lives of her family. Leni was the mother of Clyde, Nola, Virnie (also spelled “Vernie”), and Vera Nalley. The date of the fire given by Edna is most likely an error, as the newspaper story of the death of the children was picked up nationally, and appeared in the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California. The date Edna provides could be the date when the children were buried.
“[Leni] and Tom lived in and around Neosho, Missouri most of their lives. They were living 8 miles northwest of Neosho, in a small house, during the winter of 1898 and 1899. During a part of January and February they were attending a revival meeting in the neighborhood. At that time they had 3 children: Clyde, 8 years old, Nola, 6 years old and Vernie, 4 years old, whom they had been taking with them every night to the meeting.
On the evening of February 2, 1899, the children begged to stay at home, for they were tired of going every night. So their parents consented, leaving them alone, cautioning them to be very careful about the fire and the lamp.
When the services were over and they started home, they soon noticed the glow of a fire and rushed home to find the house in flames, too far along to do anything about it. They could see the three little forms in the bed but could not reach them. Their mother had to be restrained, to keep her from rushing in after them.
They never knew exactly what caused the fire but did not think it was anything the children had done, for after the fire died down, they found the three little bodies in the bed together, where they should have been and the lamp on the mantle. There was an open fireplace and the only thing they could figure out was that a live ember had popped out into the room. The children must have suffocated, because indications were they had not tried to get out of the bed. Lena never did get over this tragic experience.
[Their mother Leni] was buried in Cedar Creek Cemetery by the side of her 3 children who had been burned and buried there years before.”
Three Children Burned to Death. JOPLIN (MO.), Jan. 27.—While Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Malley, living on Cedar Creek, in Newton County, Mo., were at church last night, their three small children, whom they had left locked in the house at home, were burned to death. On returning home at 11 o'clock the parents found the house in ruins.
From the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California.
The following narrative was written by Edna Lett Stauffer, Leni’s niece, and is part of a much longer history of the lives of her family. Leni was the mother of Clyde, Nola, Virnie (also spelled “Vernie”), and Vera Nalley. The date of the fire given by Edna is most likely an error, as the newspaper story of the death of the children was picked up nationally, and appeared in the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California. The date Edna provides could be the date when the children were buried.
“[Leni] and Tom lived in and around Neosho, Missouri most of their lives. They were living 8 miles northwest of Neosho, in a small house, during the winter of 1898 and 1899. During a part of January and February they were attending a revival meeting in the neighborhood. At that time they had 3 children: Clyde, 8 years old, Nola, 6 years old and Vernie, 4 years old, whom they had been taking with them every night to the meeting.
On the evening of February 2, 1899, the children begged to stay at home, for they were tired of going every night. So their parents consented, leaving them alone, cautioning them to be very careful about the fire and the lamp.
When the services were over and they started home, they soon noticed the glow of a fire and rushed home to find the house in flames, too far along to do anything about it. They could see the three little forms in the bed but could not reach them. Their mother had to be restrained, to keep her from rushing in after them.
They never knew exactly what caused the fire but did not think it was anything the children had done, for after the fire died down, they found the three little bodies in the bed together, where they should have been and the lamp on the mantle. There was an open fireplace and the only thing they could figure out was that a live ember had popped out into the room. The children must have suffocated, because indications were they had not tried to get out of the bed. Lena never did get over this tragic experience.
[Their mother Leni] was buried in Cedar Creek Cemetery by the side of her 3 children who had been burned and buried there years before.”
From the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California.
The following narrative was written by Edna Lett Stauffer, Leni’s niece, and is part of a much longer history of the lives of her family. Leni was the mother of Clyde, Nola, Virnie (also spelled “Vernie”), and Vera Nalley. The date of the fire given by Edna is most likely an error, as the newspaper story of the death of the children was picked up nationally, and appeared in the Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 159, 28 January 1899 (The Record Union, Sacramento, Saturday, January 28, 1899, page 8) California. The date Edna provides could be the date when the children were buried.
“[Leni] and Tom lived in and around Neosho, Missouri most of their lives. They were living 8 miles northwest of Neosho, in a small house, during the winter of 1898 and 1899. During a part of January and February they were attending a revival meeting in the neighborhood. At that time they had 3 children: Clyde, 8 years old, Nola, 6 years old and Vernie, 4 years old, whom they had been taking with them every night to the meeting.
On the evening of February 2, 1899, the children begged to stay at home, for they were tired of going every night. So their parents consented, leaving them alone, cautioning them to be very careful about the fire and the lamp.
When the services were over and they started home, they soon noticed the glow of a fire and rushed home to find the house in flames, too far along to do anything about it. They could see the three little forms in the bed but could not reach them. Their mother had to be restrained, to keep her from rushing in after them.
They never knew exactly what caused the fire but did not think it was anything the children had done, for after the fire died down, they found the three little bodies in the bed together, where they should have been and the lamp on the mantle. There was an open fireplace and the only thing they could figure out was that a live ember had popped out into the room. The children must have suffocated, because indications were they had not tried to get out of the bed. Lena never did get over this tragic experience.
[Their mother Leni] was buried in Cedar Creek Cemetery by the side of her 3 children who had been burned and buried there years before.”
Gravesite Details
No marker has been found for this child.
Family Members
Advertisement
Advertisement
