SHOCKING FATALITY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10136, 14 January 1911, Page 5

SHOCKING FATALITY

FATHER AND TWO CHILDREN BURNT. . THE FATHER'S DESPERATE ATTEMPT AT RESCUE. By Telegraph—Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Last Night. A sad burning fatality occurred at Menzie's Ferry this morning. A small dairy farmer named Edward Sainsbury, and his two childrenone an infant and the other about two years of age—were the victim^. Sainsbury and his wife left the house at an early hour to milk cows in a shed a hundred yards awai% ALout an hour afterwards the housi* was seen to' be on fire. The father hastened to the rescue of his children, and entered a window. lie was not seen afterwards. The building and furniture were destroyed, and the charred bodies of the father and his children were found in the debris. - . Sainsbury was thirty years of age, and had been farming at' Menzie's Ferry for seven years. He; came. from the Lakes District,' where; his " \vidqw's relatives are said-to reside; : >lr ; -Sainsbury left-,;" hpuse had given instructions to their adopted son to start the fire in the stove and then follow ' to assist with the cows, the two children—a boy aged four years and ' «■ girl eighteen months old— being asleep, yhen the house was seen in flames Sainsbury rushed in, and the wife also attempted to enter by a side window, but was beaten back by smoke and flames. The cottage was levelled to the : . ground in an incredibly short time, ; and the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. ' , ■