A Family Tragedy from 1926

A FAMILY TRAGEDY STORY FROM 1926

The following story was reported in the “The Cadiz Record” on February 21, 1926:

February 21, 1926

Burned To Death In Illinois Town

Wife of Jagoe Thomas Formerly Of Trigg Meets Horrible Death

Daughter In Law Of Cadiz Citizen And Trigg County Relatives Attend Funeral

                Marcellus Jagoe Thomas, a former popular young man of Trigg county and son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Thomas, of Cadiz, lost his wife by a most horrible death at Christopher, Ill., on Tuesday night of last week. 

                She sustained burns and injuries when the Thomas home burned at Christopher which caused her death some hours later.

                The father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Thomas, Conrad Thomas and Herschel Thomas, brothers of Mr. Thomas, of Trigg county, and another brother, William S. Thomas, and wife of Hopkinsville, left here on Thursday morning and motored to Christopher to attend the funeral and burial.

                Funeral took place Saturday morning at the First Baptist church in Christopher, a large crowd of sorrowing friends and relatives being present, and burial followed Saturday afternoon at Benton, Ill.They reached their homes Sunday afternoon.

                Young Mr. Thomas has hosts of relatives and friends in Trigg County will sympathize with him in the sad bereavement that has befallen him.

                The Christopher, Ill. PROGRESS of last Thursday, February 18th, gives the following detailed account of the death of Mrs. Thomas and the circumstances leading up to it.

                A most deplorable tragedy which plunged the city of Christopher into a concord of sorrow occurred Tuesday night about midnight when the home of M. J. Thomas, 809 South Emma Street, burned and the death of Mrs. Thomas was brought about as a result of injuries she received from the flames while she was trying to escape from the burning building.The blaze was probably discovered from the outside by Richard Shoof, who lives on Thomas street, almost directly behind the former home of the Thomas's. As he drove his car into the garage shortly before midnight he observed sparks coming from the roof of the house and thought at the time that they were coming from the chimney. He decided to put his car in the garage and go over and warn Mrs. Thomas of the danger. On coming out of the garage he was amazed to see the fire shooting from the entire front of the house. He quickly ran to the telephone and turned in the fire alarm. He then went to the scene of the fire.

                The fire department soon had the blaze under control and no damage was done to the adjacent residence except a severe scorching and cracking of window panes. Thomas' house and all its contents were completely destroyed.

                In the meantime the large crowd which had assembled sorrowfully received the word that Mrs. Thomas and her 17 month old daughter, Marcella had been seriously burned while escaping from the inferno.

                Mr. Thomas is a storekeeper for Old Ben Corporation and had recently been transferred to watchman at the Old National because of the closing down of some of the mines. He had been working from midnight until the preceding Sunday when he changed shifts, beginning work at noon and coming home at midnight.

                On the night of the tragedy Mrs. Thomas had retired early rather than wait up for her husband's coming. According to the best story she could give, she woke up to find the house on fire. She slipped on her shoes and a pair on the baby and then wrapping the child in its feather mattress, attempted to escape thru the front door. She had trouble unlocking the door and almost before she could realize what had happened she found herself trapped in a mass of flame. Apparently a grim determination to save her baby at any cost saved her and the child from death then and there.

                She finally got the door open and running out fell from the porch to the ground. Her gown and hair were in flames. Mrs. Walter Burklow who had just arrived home from Benton was attracted by her screams and hastened to her relief. She took charge of Marcella and her husband carried Mrs. Thomas to their home. Medical aid was summoned and all-----.

                By this time several of the neighbors had been awakened and had reached the scene. They aroused the family of A. E. Townsend whose home was only a few yards from the Thomas house, only a driveway and a few feet on each side between the houses. Some little difficulty was encounters in waking up this family who were deeply wrapped in slumber.

                The Thomas house was now a mass of flames from one end to the other. It was seen that efforts to save the burning house or any of its contents would be van and the men who had assembled began emptying the house which was not afire. In a few minutes all the household goods had been safely deposited in the yard with very little damage except that usually occasioned by hurried moving.

                When he arrived he first observed Mrs. Thomas at some distance up the ----- was done that could be done to relieve her suffering and that of the little girl and to save the life of the mother who had offered the extreme sacrifice of mother love. It was found that Marcella was painfully but not seriously burned.

                Both were later removed to the home of Mrs. Olive Leitch, 410 North Emma street, where at three o'clock Thursday morning Mrs. Thomas passed from this earth to receive her reward at the hands of Him whose mission on this earth was to die that others might live.

                Mrs. Thomas; maiden name was Minnie Olive Leitch. She was born July 15, 1905, at Spencer, Indiana. She with her family moved to Christopher about seven years ago.

                On May 22, 1920 she was united in marriage to Marcellus J. Thomas, of Christopher. A daughter, Marcella was born to them September 30, 1924. They bought the home which was destroyed Tuesday night shortly after their marriage and had devoted themselves faithfully to their home, each other and to their daughter.

                The father of the deceased preceded her in death about eighteen months ago. She leaves to mourn her untimely and apparently cruel departure from the earth her husband and daughter, mother and three sisters, Mrs. Lyda McMann, o9f Westville; Mrs. Joe Rigo, of Valier, and Miss Billie Leitch, of Christopher. It would be entirely appropriate to mention also her brother in law, Raymond Thomas, who has made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Thomas most of the time since their marriage, and who loved the deceased with all the devotion of a full brother.

                It is useless to indulge the eulogy of the departed. Her life was exemplary and made beautiful by her friendly and ineffective simplicity. Her sacrificial death was the crowning glory of her life. May she rest peacefully and live long in the memory of those who loved her.

A Follow up story in the Cadiz Record adds further tragedy:

February 1926

Jagoe Thomas Loses His Baby Daughter

Little Daughter Follows Mother Who was Burned To Death In Illinois

Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Thomas, of this city have received notice from their son, Jagoe Thomas, of Christopher, Ill.,  stating that his little daughter, Marcella, died on last Saturday.

Last week THE RECORD contained a long account of the death of the mother by burning. At the time it will be remembered the little daughter also suffered burns. This, counted with an  illness the baby already had caused her death.

The little one was about eighteen months of age.      THE LINEAGE: (Marcellus Jagoe Thomas was the son of William Henry and Martha Ellen Tinsley Thomas and the grandson of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.   Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Mary Bridges was the fifth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)