ALBERT AFFORD BURNS AT PORTAL

Young Englishman While Sleeping In a Barn Used For a Pig, Meets a Terrible Death Friday Morning.

A young Englishman named Albert Afford was burned to death in a barn at Portal about 12:30 o'clock Friday morning. The barn stood at the rear of Leplane Bros.' restaurant. Two horses which were in the barn burned. The body was recovered the following morning. From what the Independent could learn, the young man had been staying in the barn. He did not have an over limited amount of sense and hung around the blind pigs and bowling alleys doing odd jobs. It is said that the barn which was burned was used for pigging purposes and an oil stove which was in the place is supposed to be the origin of the fire. The fire department was called out about midnight but the structure was in flame before they were able to do anything. Someone heard cries as if they came from the barn, but the man who tried to get in and rescue the young Englishman was held back, as it would mean sure death for him to enter the building. The next morning a leg was found burned from the body. The man's head was also badly burned. In some parts of the body all of the flesh was burned from the bones. Coroner Crokat was notified and he made arrangements for an inquest.

Ward County Independent, 1/20/1904