Higham Ferrers - A Man and Child burnt to Death.

An inquest was held at the Swan Hotel, Higham Ferrers, on Saturday last before Mr. J. Parker, and a jury of whom Mr. C. Groom was chosen foreman, upon the body of a child named, Lillian Vera Pack, who, as we stated in our last issue was accidentally burned on Wednesday last, and was in a critical condition. The child did not improve, and succumbed to her injuries on Friday afternoon.— Minnie Pack, wife of Arthur Pack, pressman, Higham Ferrers, stated that the deceased  was her daughter, aged two years and four months. On Wednesday, about 6.45, witness put the deceased to bed upstairs, and she had not left above ten minutes when she heard a scream. Witness ran upstairs and found the window curtains and a chair on fire. The child was sitting on the floor, and her night-dress was on fire. She could not see what caused the fire. Witness wrapped deceased in a mat, and then her lodger went up and finished extinguishing the fire. Deceased was badly burnt. She found the matches in the usual place untouched.—John Wagstaff said he was a rivetter, and lodged at Mr. Pack’s. On Wednesday evening he went home about a quarter to seven o’clock. Mrs. Pack was then in the house getting teas ready, when the child cried and Mrs. Pack went upstairs and called him. He went as soon as he could and met Mrs. Pack at the top of the stairs with the child with its night-dress on fire. He found the window-blinds and chair on fire, and he extinguished them. He searched for matches and found a match-box on the table. It was shut, and he did not think the child had been at it, although it might have reached it.—William J. Parkin, registered medical practitioner, Higham Ferrers, said on the evening in question he at­tended the deceased and found her badly burnt over a large surface of the body. He dressed the wounds and attended her and continued to do so till Friday afternoon, when she died from the injuries described. The child had been properly looked after, and his directions were carried out.—A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.