BRAVE MOTHER

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1929, Page 8

BRAVE MOTHER

FOUR CHILDREN

THROWN TO SAFETY

LONDON, April 1(5

Hundreds of people saw a mother throw lour or her children to salely from Lite bedroom ol a burning public bouse at I’ilslon to-day.

The mother, Airs .May Higgs, then jumped into thee arms. of rescuers standing below. Badly burned and in a state ol hysteria, she collapsed and was unconscious for some time.

Mr Jliggs, with her husband and live children, lived at the Royal Fxcliange publie-liouse in Chapel-street, of winch (lie license is Mr David ( art- " Tight. j , At a.in. the eldest son 'found his room full of smoke. He and bis lath er discovered that the bar and most of the rooms downstairs were alight. The stairs collapsed in a mass ol flam os, and father and son were cut off from tli<‘ sleeping family. Before the fire brigade arrived -Mrs Higgs woke up and neighbours came mulling in answer to her screams.

Flames burst through the Hour ol Mrs Hig'g’s bedroom, where her 'lour youngest children were.

“THROW THE.M DOWN.”

.Someone cried, “Throw them down We will catch them.” One by one Mrs Higgs picked up her children and threw them out of the window. As Mrs Higgs followed flames wore seen bursting from the window, and tli” glass fell in a shower. Mrs Higgs said to me later:

“It was a frightful experience. As I waited at the window for help with the flames crackling behind me and my children huddled round me I 1011. faint and should have fallen Imd I not grasped the hot window ledge. 'I hat seemed to bring me round. The thought <;>f my children’s'. safety gave me courage. I could not possio|y have held out another five minutes. , The children’s ages ranged from four years to 14. Mr Cartwright slept longer than the others and woke lip to find his room fu';i of smoke. He jumped from a window and was .slightly injured.