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Tuesday's fire which claimed the life of a 19-year-old California resident be gan on the porch of the victim's home, Fire Chief Vito Scaccia said yesterday. John W. “Jack’’ McDonald of 515 Se cond St. died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning, Washington County Coroner Farrell Jackson said. “The fire started on a glider, possibly because someone left a cigarette bur ning,” Scaccia said. ‘‘The State Police fire marshal finished his investigation today .' Scaccia was asked if arson was a pos sibility. “No,” he replied. California firemen found McDonald's body near an upstairs bedroom closet above the porch. “There were no bruises, no marks, no fractures on the body,” Jackson said. An autopsy was performed yester day. The 47-year-old Scaccia was one of four firemen treated in Brownsville Hospital for smoke inhalation. The others were Wesley Sheetz, 26, Gene Knight, 49, and 26-year-old Joseph Mar tin. The victim’s father, William, was also treated in the same hospital for smoke inhalation and cuts suffered when he tried to rescue his son. Jack McDonald was alone at home when the fire started. His father arrived home about the same time as the fire alarm sounded. Although the front of the house was fully engulfed when firemen arrived, fire damage was limited to the front rooms a1d porch, Seaceia said. The victim graduated from Califor nia Area High School this spring and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in that communi ty. Besides his father, he is survived by his mother, Mrs. Ruth Stockton McDonald; his stepmother, Mrs. Eleanor Ross McDonald; a brother, David Scott, and his grandmother, Mrs. Julia A. McDonald. Friends will be received in the Caleffie-Greenlief Funeral Home, Cali fornia, today and Friday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. and until 11 a.m. Satur day, the hour of service with Dr. John R. Rankin of the First Presbyterian Church, California, officiating. Burial will be in LaFayette Memorial Park, Brier Hill. Window Broken Thomas Konieczny, 57, of Mount Pleasant R.D. 2, told State Police that vandals threw rocks at his home last night, breaking two front windows. Theft From Car Gary Ziegler of 164 Lincoln St. told city police his wallet containing $210 and 12 tapes valued at $24 were stolen from his car while it was parked in the rear of his residence sometime Monday night, Trash Fire Uniontown. city firemen were called at 6:45 last evening for a trash fire at the Mary Slampak home, 23 Walnut St. Auto Staten Irene McCune of Dilliner told State Police from Waynesburg that thieves took her 1976 Ford Torino valued at $4, 500 from in front of her house between 1 and 3 a.m. yesterday.
Newspaper Details
Uniontown Evening Standard
Uniontown, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Sep 01, 1977
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Janet K.
USA 24 May 2026
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