The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-28
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION.
How Human Hriazs Arc in"ardiy Harmed
10 Death.

IIew nuuian Hrinza Arc iH"ardiS Harmed
To Death.
Gases Of human beings who have sud
denly died from the effects Of internal
/ combustion are very singular. The tol-
! lowing case is a very remarkable one.
/ IL is that Of Grace Pitt, tho wife Of "a
/ tlshmunger IN the parish oi St. Clement,
I Ipswich She was aged about sixty,
and had contracted habit Of coming
down from her be,iroOm every night,
I half dressed, to smoke pipe. On the
night II the 9th OF April. lT44, she got
I up from bed as usual, and her daughter,
who slept with her, did not notice her
absence until next morning, when on
going down into the kitchen, she found
! her stretched ont ON her right side, with
Z her head toward the CRATE . the body
extended on the hearth. with the legs on
the floor. which was of deal, and II had
the appearance of Log Of wool which
had been consumed by fire without
apparent dame. The girl, on noticing
her mothers body, nan ami got couple
OF vessels Of water which she poured
upon the body, and immediately'a fOeut
oior and smoke Was given of which
very nearly smothercd the neighbors
who had come 10 the girls assistance
The trunk was in some measure inciner-
atei and rrscmbled heap Of Goals Gov
cred with white ashes. The head, tile
arms, and lower portions Of the body
hai also been partially burned. The
woman il was said hai drank large
quantity oi spirituUus liquor the night
before IN consequence Of being oyeriOyed
at hearing OF the return Of one Of her
daughters from Gibralter There was
no ire in the CRATE from which the cot
ton gown she wore could have been ig
nited and the candle had been burned
entirely out in the socket, while near
the consumed body were found several
articles Of clothing and a paper screen,
which had sustained no injury by the
fire.
And still another case is found in that
Of Madam Millet, who kept a lodging
house at Rheims. France, and who got
intoxicated very nearly every day. This
woman was found consumed NJ a dis
tance OF foot and a half from her
hearth, on the morning Of the 10th VI
February. lT25. Only part Of the
head, "A little Of the extremitics aud three
or four yertebrs, were left Of the body.
The flooring under the body Was oon-
sumed, but articles Of clothing and wood
near the body were still intact. Jean
Millet, the husband Of tho decreased,
stated that his wife had been unable 20
sleep the preceding night. and had gone
into the kitchen 10 warm herself at
about two o'clock in the morning he was
awakened by a strong and infectious
o,lor, and having run % the place found
the remains Of his wife IN the condition
described Inquiry into the cause of
Madam Millets death was prosecuted
with the most untiring diligence. IL
was unfortunate for NJ. Millct that he
had handsome servant girl in the cs-
tablishmcnt, for he was charged by his
prosecutors with having concerted with
the girl 10 put Madam Millei out OF the
way, and had studi0asly arranged tho
above details Ia aver, suspicion from the
real cause Of his laly's death. He was
convicted bat superior cuurt, % which
he appealed, declared the combustion 10
have been the result 81 natural causes,
and 10 have been spontaneous, NJ that
the male Millet came of victorious.
II is notable fact that in nearly all
cases OF spontaneous combustion men as
victims are conspicuous by their absence;
a case, however, is given by DIR. Mac
Nish.-.St. Louis Post.