Shortly after 11 o'clock last night a fire broke out in a four-roomed cottage in Wyn yard street, which was burned to the ground, and one of the inmates, son of Mr C. E. Madden, solicitor, was burned to death. Mr Charles Wright was walking along Wyn yard street on his road home, when lie noticed a glare in front of the window of Maddens house, and, feeling apprehensive that something was wrong, knocked at the doir. Mrs Madden came to it partly dressed and opened it, and then closed it in his face in her- excitement He saw flames inside, and at once kicked in the door, carrying out two children live or six years old, who were in their night dresses, and took them to Mrs Campbell next door. On coming back he saw Mrs Madden coming round the back of the house with a child in her arms. She was in a perfect frenzy, fancying that the three other children were in the house. On . learning that one was still missing she at tempted to go back into the flames with the child in her arms, but Mr Wright prevented her. He was unable to penetrate to the room where the missing child had been sleeping, as the.whole house was then in flames. Mrs Madden was in a state of hysteria, and it was found necessary to re move her to the hospital in a cab. As soon as possible the firemen penetrated into the room indicated as the one in which the miss ing boy slept, but found the body of William Samuel, the third son, aged five years. The body presented a terrible spectacle, but it was clear that the child could have suffered little, having died in sleep of suffocation.
