Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Friday 25 May 1928

Child’s Death Following Burns.

The danger of keeping petrol in a house was revealed on inquest at Mexborough yesterday on Raymond Humphries, aged 10 months, son of Raymond Humphries, 8, Albert Road, Mexborough, who died from burns in the Montagu Hospital, on Saturday.

The mother, Emily Humphries, said that on Saturday morning she lighted a fire in the living room, where the deceased boy was playing. A fire was also burning in the copper boiler.

Suddenly a bottle containing petrol fell from the shelf above the copper and burst into flames. When witness looked round she saw her child in flames. She wrapped a bed tick round the boy and extinguished the blaze.

The Coroner (Mr. W. H. Carlisle) in recording a verdict of “Accidental death,” said that Mrs. Humphries seemed to have done the best she could for the child. He advised her to keep petrol away from the fire in future.