The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-09-19
A SHOCKING FATE.

Nrs. Helen X. Hoyt. VIE ola New York
Physician. Burned to Death Through
Spark lighting Her Clothing Narrow
Escape of Lady Friend In Her Efforts to
Quench the Flames
New YORK, September 1.-THE tragic
death of Mrs. Helen X. Hoyt at $50 West
Thirtieth street was reported to Coroner
Levy yesterday. Mrs Ioyt was the wife
OF DR.. W. d. Hoyt. They had been mar.
ried but a short time. The house IL
which they lived is handsome fiat on
The first floor, and is furnished with taste
and elegance. About 1880 tuesday even
ing Mrs. Hoyt, In the absence of her
husband, undertook to stir the
furnace with q poker. As she did
so spark flew out and fell on her lace
dress. In an instant the young lady's
clothing was In flames. Her screams re.
echoed through the house as she ran up
to the rooms in the second story, occu--
pied by her friend, Mrs. Frances Ruger.
When the lady opened the door Mrs.
Hoyt, crazed with fright aud pain, threw
herself upon her. Mrs. Ruger fell back
and Mrs. Hoyt ran into the ROOM With
much difficulty Mrs. Ruger threw heavy
table cover over her, hoping thus
to smother the fumes. Mrs
Ruger herself was clad in very
light dress and had to act with great eau
ton to avoid cltching fire herself. Her
embarrassment was increased by Mrs.
Hoyt's constant endeavor to embrace
her. Mrs. lloyt cried, "Help, l am dy-
ing" Mrs. Ruger caught up a heavy
rug that lay before the fireplace, but be-
fore she could place it over the table
cover Mrs. Hoyt had thrown the latter
aside and ran trantically from one room
TO another, the current of air created by
her flight tanning the flames. Mrs
Ruger called her servant and the two
women tried vainly 10 control their un.
fortunate neighbor. They repeatedly
attempted to throw blanke,s and quilts
over her, but always wi the same lack
of success. As Mrs. Hoyt ran through
Mrs Ruger's apartments she set fire to
the carpet in places, and also ignited the
cover of bureau in bedroom. These
little fires were extinguished without
much trouble. Having reached Mrs.
Ruger's rearmost room, Mrs. Hoyt
turned and ran back, screaming "mur.
der!" She dashed into the hall through
the door by which she had entered. Mrs.
Ruger followed her to call for help.
Again Mrs. Hoyt tried to grasp Mrs,
Ruger. This time her movement was so
sudden that Mrs. Ruger had no chance to
protect herself. She struggled in the
fierce grasp of her friend, whose glow
ing garments almost touched her
own. In the contest both women
moved along the head of the stairs,
Mrs. Ruger trying to escape and Mrs.
Hoyt holding her back with unnatural
strength, and both shrieklng Suddenly
Mrs. Ruger's foot caught in her skirts
and she fell down the stairs, dragging
Mrs. Hoyt after her In the lower hall
Mrs. Hoyt's fingers relaxed their desper
ate hold and when both lad scrambled
to their feet, Mrs Ruger freed herself.
AS she staggered back, faint and breath
less, against the wall Mrs. IIovt dashed
into the street. Her clothing by that
time was almost burned from her person.
She turned toward Ninth avenue, expect
ing, it is supposed, to find DR.. Hoyt in
| uIuH bIOIG Ou lIlG COIuCE, WuClG nc SOCs
occasionally. In front OF DR. Livings.
toms Office, few doors from her own
residence, Mrs HoYt tripped and fell A
teamster, who was passing, jumped
down from his seat and envelopeJ
her in a horse-blanket. All this had
happened in far less time than it re.
quired to tell it, DR.. Hoyt came
along as the blanket was thrown
over her. She was carried to a drug
store, and several physicians who live
? in the neighborhood Offered their ser.
vices They found that Mrs Hoyt's
legs, breast and abdomen were horribly
burned. After the usual applications
she was carried back to her homet
where she died at GAS yesterday morn.
ing. The deceased was twenty-three
years old, attractive in person, and had
a large circle of friends. DR.. Hoyt is
Frustrated with grief. Mrs Ruger sui
fered little by her fall, but was in nerv
Gus, exhausted state yesterday.