John Murray

John Murray, aged 56, who was fatally burned last week by the overturning of a kerosene lamp which saturated his clothes with kerosene and caught fire to his clothes, died Friday morning of last week in an Omaha hospital.

Deceased was a native son of Washington county and a graduate of the Blair high school. At one time he was considered wealthy. He leaves one brother, Dan, and a sister, Mrs. Patrick Mackin to mourn his death.

Funeral services were held last Saturday morning from the Catholic church and interment was made in the Blair cemetery.

Note: He is buried in Blk 9 Lot 6 Sp 1 in Holy Cross Cemetery in Blair.

Another news article

John Murray Near Death From Burns

Extensive Owner of Land Falls With Lamp And Clothes Take Fire

Prompt Action By Sam Grothe Saves Life

Loses Consciousness After Mishap and is a Human Torch When Friend Comes to Rescue; is Given Chance to Live

John Murray, 56 years old, well known Washington county landowner, is in Immanuel hospital, Omaha, and given a fighting chance to recover, about 96 hours after he had tripped and fallen while carrying a lighted lamp and saturated his clothes with kerosene. The tragedy occurred at his residence on East Grant street about two o’clock, Sunday morning.

According to reports of the accident, Mr. Murray had arisen and lighted the kerosene lamp and was on his way to the kitchen when he tripped on a rug and fell into a nearby chair. The lamp was broken in the fall and the oil from the bowl poured over him, then igniting.

As the flames shot up about his head, Mr. Murray is believed to have lost consciousness, either from the extreme pain or from the shock, but before doing so he called “Grothe, Grothe”, to Sam Grothe, who had been making his home with Murray. Grothe, who was in bed, dashed to the kitchen, where Murray’s entire body was enveloped in flames. When he reached Murray the flames were shooting two feet above the accident victim’s head, according to Grothe.

Grothe then pulled Murray from the chair and extinguished the flames with a bucket of water that was nearby. He carried Murray to another room and placed him on a lounge, then returning to the kitchen to put out the fire that threatened the house.

Grothe immediately notified a doctor, who ordered that Murray should be taken to an Omaha hospital, where for a day or two his condition was described as “fair”.

A report from the hospital on Thursday morning gave him a 50-50 chance to live.

He was badly burned about the feet and legs, one of his hands was virtually cooked to a crisp and the flames seared him about the face.

Prompt action on the part of Grothe is said to have saved Murray from immediate death and destruction of the residence. Grothe’s hands were burned in the rescue attempt and it was necessary for him to seek medical attention.

Murray, who is unmarried, was at one time one of the most extensive landowners in this part of the state and the title to approximately 1,200 acres of real estate in Washington county was in his name.

Intensity of the flames that shrouded Murray is indicated in the report of Grothe, who says that rungs of the chair on which the man was sitting were burned through.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

FindaGrave memorial # 174241862