Shocking Occurrence.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 240, 15 April 1896, Page 2

Shocking Occurrence.

i FIVE CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATH. (Per Press Association.) Sydney, April 7. A firo occurred on Saturday night near : Cabramatta, whereby the dwelling ofMr Bonarins was totnlly destroytd. Five young children, whose ayes range from G years to 10 yearn, were in the building ac > ibe time, anil being unnb!e to escape ult • were burnt to death. The children were '< members of 8 families nuuicd Bonarin.-. i Fabies and Osbcrne, whose parents had > gone to a social gathering, leaving the I children in charge of the house. The i building wan built of weatherboards with an iron roof. Just before midnight us i thelgathering was about to conclude, a ■ messenger informed Bonarius that the i house was on lire. He dashed across the i bush, and as he arrived, the flames burst ; through from all sides of the structure. ! The other members of the little party ■ were not far behind Bonarius, and the i distress of the mothers was terrible, and • it was with difficulty they were restrained • from dashing through the flames in their endeavour to rescue them. Gallant effort I toj accomplish this had previously been i made. The front door was burst open ! with a stout log, but within the place 1 the flames raged like a furnace, and soon tho roof fell in with a crash, what remained of the supports of the structure following. 1 Renewed attempts were made to reach th I bodies. Water was poured upon the burning mass, and after some little time, two bodies were found lying side by side ■ on the remains of a wire mattress. In • the other bedroom were found the r corpses of the two eldest children, the body ot the youngest child was discovered under a sheet of iron. All were terribly burnt, and the greater portion of their limbs were missing. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, adding a rider deploring the custom of leaving children unprotected at night. The house was uninsured. It is supposed the children upset a kero- . sene lamp. The case of Bonarius is an . exceptionally hard one. Apart from the loss of his child he lost everything he s possessed. — Post.