LOST HOME AND SON IN FLAMES.
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Four Other Members of the Family Are Burned, Two of
Whom May Not Recover--Terrible Misfortune
Which Befell the Hastings Near Kings-
ton--Dead boy Was Dragged
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From Flames By His Father--Offered Up a Prayer Before
His Young Life Passed Out-- One Family's
Sad Christmas.
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The home of George Hastings, a half mile south of Kingston, was burned over the family's heads Friday night about 1 o'clock.  Mr. Hastings, his wife and six children were in the house at the time.   The eldest child, Richard, is dead from the effects of the burns.  Mrs. Hastings and another son, William, scarcely have even chances to live.   Two other children, Floyd and another, ar also burned,but not badly.
Woke up in Flames.
 The entire family woke up in flames Friday night about 10 o'clock.  It is presumed that a defective flue set the house on fire.  The heat and smoke awakened the family of  eight, but before they could leave the house all but two were horribly burned and it was only an instant after Richard had been dragged from the house that the roof tumbled in.
One is Dead From Burns.
 That the boy Richard came to be saved at all to live for another day seems like the intervention of Providence.  All had left the burning house but he, but the others could hear his agonizing cries for help.  They could not see him, however, and he was unable to get out alone.  At last, the carpet on which he was lying blazed up and the father saw his son through the flames and dragged him out.
   Prayed Before Death.
 Richard died about 8 o'clock Saturday night at the home of Jesse Predmore, where Mr. and Mrs. Hastings are now.  A few minutes before the 16-year-old boy's life came to an end he got out of bed, walked out of his room into the cool evening air, knelt down and prayed and then entered the house again, saying:  "I don't think the newspapers will get that."  The funeral took place yesterday morning at 9 o'clock from the home of the boy's grandfather, Solomon Hastings, who lives half a mile southwest of the scene of the fire.  The funeral was at Winner cemetery, two and a half miles south of Beverly.  Richard was urned from the wrist down to the feet.  His face was terribly scarred by the flames.
Mother and Son in Critical Condition.
 Mrs. Hastings is frightfully burned.  Her face is scorched so that her eyes are closed, but the sight is not gone; her children and husband are burnt raw.  The boy, Willie, is suffering from having inhaled flames and smoke.  Both mother and son are in danger.
 The father, although badly burned, has never been in danger.  Willie wore a heavy wollen sweater at the time of the fire and this saved his life.
Help for the Sufferers.
 Dr. Davidson, of Kingston, attended the fire-stricken family, and the neighbors did all that could be done to succor it.  Subscriptions are now being taken for the sufferers and the appeal is meeting a generous response.
 George Hastings is a well known farmer of Kingston, where he has lived for the past fifteen years.
Never Notified the Coroner.
 Coroner Lummis had not been notified of the death of Richard Hastings until a Journal reporter told him of it this morning.  He will make immediate inquiries regarding the boy's death and an investigation will be made.  The coroner said that he out to have been told of the death and no physician's certificate of death out to have been issued until he had been consulted.
Mrs. Hastings and "Billy" Bad Off.
 The doctors this afternoon said tha Mrs. Hastings and "Billy" are very bad off.
 Sadie is the oldest child; Billy is next; Richard, 17, who was buried at 10am yesterday in the Winner graveyard, next; the come, floyd, 13; Lelia, 11; and Harry, 7.

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