John Daniel
John Daniel was 16 years old and one of 21 Black boys who died in a dormitory fire at the Arkansas Negro Boys Industrial School in Wrightsville, Pulaski County, on March 5, 1959. He was held at the juvenile facility when the blaze broke out. Sources say the dormitory doors were locked from the outside, and the state's account of the cause, a fire, is the one given in the records. He is among the victims buried in Haven of Rest Cemetery in Little Rock.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined (neglect alleged). Reports say the boys were locked in their dormitory when the fire started, and that the doors were locked from the outside.
Reported by: state officials. The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.