The following information was researched and provided by Phil & Martha Earls,
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From the
Three Boys of Buckskin Meet
Death In The Flames
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A
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The Parents Of The Boys Escape In
Their Night Clothes—Origin of
The Fire Unknown—Coroner
Investigating
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Special to the Clarion
BUCKSKIN,
Community was thrown into a state of
terror
at
Home of Michael Wild, a quarter of a
Mile from the town, was burned. In
its ashes lie the charred bodies of Mr.
Wild’s three sons, aged 8, 14 and 16
years.
The house was discovered to be on
fire
shortly before
discovered the flames had enveloped the
house and were doing their work
speedily. Mr. Wild, his wife and
daughter, were sleeping on the first
floor and were awakened by the
cracking of the flames. They rushed
out of the house, clad in their night
clothes.
Then the half suffocated father be-
gan calling to his boys in the second
story. No answer came. Neighbors
hurried to the fire and the work of
extinguishing the flames began. The
rescue of the three boys was upper-
most in the minds of the fire fighters
and after a struggle they saved a sec-
tion of the house, but the boys were
lost.
Near where the bed stood the body
of they youngest was found. It was
charred almost beyond recognition.
The bodies of the other two were
Found in a crouching position. It is
evident that they got lost in trying to
grope their way out and finally
reached the corner were they tried
to avoid the flames and smoke. It is
thought they were suffocated to
death, as their bodies were not badly
disfigured.
The parents and sister of the dead
boys are almost crazed. The father
moves around the old house as in a
dream and greets all his old friends
with a groan. Coroner Hollingsworth
has arrived on the scene and is hold-
ing an inquest. The origin of the fire
is unknown, but incendiarism is sus-
pected.
(Follow-up article from the Princeton Clarion)
TWO WERE ORPHANS
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Only One of the Buckskin Fire Vic-
Tims was a Son of Mr. and Mrs.
Wildt—A Sad Tragedy.
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Our correspondent at Buckskin
writes that two of the boys who were
burned to death in the fire near that
place Tuesday night were orphans
who had been living with the family.
The names of the victims were Wil-
liam Greaser, 16; Fred Need, 10; and
Fred Wildt, 9. They were sleeping
up stairs at the time of the fire and
the flames had destroyed the stairway
before the lads were awakened. A
charred mass of bones and flesh is all
that is left to indicate the spot where
the boys were.
The holocaust has cast a gloom over
the neighborhood and there is pro-
found sympathy for the bereaved pa-
rents and guardians. Hundreds of
people visited the scene of the trag-
edy yesterday. As yet the cause of
the fire is a complete mystery.
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PARISH RECORDS OF
1868-1950
Translated and/or Copied from the Original Register by
Mrs. Leo L. Kruse with very much assistance with the translation
From Mrs. Chester Gleim.
Typed and donated by Mrs. Leo L Kruse.
1982
WILD Friedrich
Johannes Wild, born
NIED Johann
Fredrich Nied, born
GRIESE Friedrich
Wilhelm Michael Griese, Born
Died from a fire that destroyed the home of
Michael Wild at Buckskin,
on