BERTHA THURMAN SUSTAINS CRITICAL BURNS SATURDAY. Miss Bertha Thurman, aged about 18 years, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Thurman, of 6 miles north of Farmington, sustained critical burns about noon on last Saturday. Her parents had gone to the public sale of E. P. Thurman for the day and Miss Bertha was busy with the household work when one of the smaller children struck a match and dropped it on the floor near her. Almost instantly her dress caught on fire. She began screaming and another of the children grabbed a broom and began trying to beat out the flames, but that only added to the fury. Bertha ran out onto the porch, where she was met by her 14 year old brother, who had been cutting wood near the house and was attracted by her cries for help. He pulled her back into the house and with rare presence of mind for a mere boy threw her down and rolled a carpet about her, thus extinguishing the fire, but not until her lower limbs had been fearfully burned. A physician was summoned and her injuries dressed. She was reported yesterday as resting fairly well, with some chance for her recovery. It was certainly a most distressing accident. [Farmington News, March 1914]