Politician’s Narrow Escape.
Mr. Sellick Davies, the prospective Liberal candidate for the Evesham Division of Worcestershire, had a narrow escape from death on Saturday evening, when he attempted to enter a burning bungalow at Wickhamford, and was dragged back by other members of his party before the roof fell in.
It was stated that the owner of the bungalow, a woman, was inside. Mr. Sellick Davies at once tried to force the door and had one foot over the doorstep when he was met by a mass of flames, which burnt him severely about the hands. He was about to enter when several of his friends seeing the futility of his task, dragged him back. The next moment the building, a wooden structure, collapsed.
The Evesham Fire Brigade was summoned but in the meantime the fire had spread and altogether four bungalows were destroyed before it was extinguished. A considerable portion of their contents was saved thanks to the efforts of Mr. Davies and his party. On arrival of the firemen, Mr. Davies was persuaded to return to his hotel in Evesham. Accompanying him were Mr. J. Stanley Eggleston, Mayor Hubbard and Mr. J. Sinclair, of Evesham.
It was afterwards found that there was no woman in the bungalow.
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A much longer article appeared in The Evesham Journal (with thanks to Stan Brotherton for giving permission to view and copy his archive copies of The Journal): In the article below, the bungalow name is spelled 'Innesfree', but is was actually 'Innisfree' (the name coming from a poem by Yeats). T. H. Collett was Tom Herbert Collett and Mrs King was Fanny Mabel Mary King (nee Collett), who had been a widow for 4 years.
