Home People Accidents Burnt Child. – Tragedy in a Piccadilly Hut – Playing With Fire

Burnt Child. – Tragedy in a Piccadilly Hut – Playing With Fire

November 1929

Mexborough and Swinton Times November 22, 1929

Burnt Child.
Tragedy in a Piccadilly Hut.
Playing With Fire

A tragic story was told at an inquest conducted by Mr. W. H. Carlile at the Montagn Hospital on Wednesday, of how Margaret Hall, aged five, daughter of Walter Hall, licensee of the High House Inn, Piccadilly, came to be fatally burned on Sunday afternoon. Evidence of identification was given by Mr. Hall, who added that his child did not leave home until 1-40 p.m. on Sunday. He was told of the accident less than twenty minutes later.

Mr. Hall understood that his daughter went out to play with other children before going to Sunday School.

Ben Green, miner, 29, Wentworth Road, Piccadilly, said he had a wooden hut in which he kept two dogs. In the hut was a circular stove and on Sunday he lighted a fire “to keep the place aired.” It was not usual for the children to play in his hut except on Sunday afternoons when his niece visited him. On this particular afternoon he had warned the children before going into the hut that they must not touch the fire. There were two bottles of straw at the rear of the shed.

“The first thing I knew of the accident,” he said, “was when my niece rushed into the house to tell me Margaret was on fire. That was about 1-55 p.m. I ran from the house but the child had gone several houses down the row so that I was not able to wrap a rug round her. I caught her up in a passage way and tried to put the flames on her pinafore out with my bare hands. Her pinafore and clothing were well alight. The girl ran away from me into a neighbour’s house and there the flames were extinguished by myself, Mr. Wilson and Mr. G. Mitchell. Ambulance men were sent for and after first aid had been given, the girl was brought to the Montagu Hospital.” Green added that the children could not get on fire without opening the lid of the stove.

How the accident occurred was described by a little playmate, Hannah Wilson (7), of 31, Wentworth Road, Piccadilly.                “There were four of us altogether but I did not go into the shed. Margaret Green got some straw and lit it and then asked Margaret Hall to take it from her. She held it out to Margaret Hall and the light touched her pinafore which blazed up. Mr. Green told us not to touch the fire and I didn’t, sir. I never went in.”

Dr. Jean Smith, house surgeon at the Montagu Hospital, said that Margaret Hall was admitted at 2-30 p.m. on Sunday suffering from severe burns on the face, neck,  chest, both arms and the left side of the body. The child received medical treatment but there was little hope of her recovery.

Death occurred on Monday due to shock following the burns.

The Coroner said it was an extremely sad case and there was little doubt about the verdict, “Accidental Death.” Mr. Green bad warned the children about the fire but children of that age were always inclined to play with it

Mr. Green: They won’t do it again, this is the finish.

The Coroner expressed sympathy with Mr. Hall.