Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-06-19
A MOurnfuI Kerosene Tragedy.

YESTERDAY afternoon gay party OF
friends assembled at a residence in the
West End to assist at wedding feast
given by newly-married couple; but be-
fore the sun went down the gayety OF that
party had fled The youngest, the most
beautiful, the hostess, the bride, was
writhing in the agonies Of death. The
husband, too, was little better than dead,
laboring as he was in the agonies of bodily
and mental pain, while other relatives and
friends bore the marks Of friendship in
painful wounds.
Last Tuesday young man of twenty.
seven, named John Vandenburg, one OF
Kickoff, the tailor's, chief workmen, was
married to Anna Schwegman, a young
girl not quite seventeen years old. This
girl was niece of Mr.. Kickoff. After the
wedding the couple moved to suit OF
rooms in the rear of No. 272 Richmond
street, two doors east of Linn street.
Everything appeared bright to the newly
married pair. The girl was young, good.
| looking and amiable, while the husband,
according to Mr. Kickoff, his employer,
was one of the best men in the tailoring
stablishment-steady, sober, trustworthy
and capable.
Yesterday afternoon the bride and
groom gave little party to their imme
! diate friends, in their neatly-furnished
apartments. Nothing was spared tc
make the day pleasant one; all were
dressed in their best, the bride wearing
her light and airy white wedding dress.
The feast went merrily on, when, about
80 o'clock, the new housewife discovered
that the contents of the coffee-pot were
getting low, so she hurried down stairs
to the kitchen to make some fresh, leav
ing the husband and guests laughing and
talking alone. The fire in the kitchen
stove had died down, and the girl, in hel
haste to get back to her company, thought
lessly picked up can of kerosene ane
poured some of the oil upon the fire
Instantly the fire communicated to hel
gossamer dress, and in second she wa:
completely enveloped in the flames. She
rushed out, but could not get free from
the fierce embrace of death. Her screams
comp letely paralyzed the company above.
| They sat still an instant, then all rushed
down into the yard. Mr.. Kickoff was
first, and soon threw his coat around her,
and then a blanket was added, but
the fire still smoldered beneath and
burnt up everything except the
Wristbands of her skirts and her white
wedding slippers. The poor girl was
carried up stairs to bed and DIR. Brown
summoned. He prescribed for her, but
pronounced her case hopeless. Indeed
he might WELL She was burned COM
pletely. There was not square inch
upon her whole body that was not
Drowned by the horrible fire. She lay on
the bed and fairly writhed in pain. Two
Sisters of Mercy watched her and nursed
her, but their efforts will be in vain.
Death will be happy release.
The husband was severely burned about
the head and shoulders; terribly SO, but
not necessarily fatal. His nervous system
was rudely shocked, and last night he
lay upon the floor of his late happy. home
and groaned in anguish. The mother OF
the bride, as well as Mr.. Kickoff and his
wife, were all more or less injured In try
ing to succor the dear one.
The neighbors did all in their power to
help the afflicted family, for those who
had assisted at the feast and were called
upon to witness the distressing end were
so dazed that they could do but little
Cincinnati Gd2ette, June 8.