The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-13
CRBHATED ALIVE.
Horrible Death Of a Rich Farmer
and his Wife.
Building a House to Prevent the
Vtry Thing that Happ- ned.

A Seneca Gll) dispatch says that the de-
tails OF the mysterious death Of Mr. and Mrs.
Patrick Rooney, who were found the other
morning, the one suffocatod and the other
cremated make horrible story. Foul play
was suspected, but the circumstances
scarcely justify the suspicion Rooney
was seventy three years old and the
wealthiess farmer in Central Illinois,
his estate being valued at $500, 1000. By his
first wife he had four sons, all of whom are
married. He never was known to give them
SO much as cent. Twenty-Five years ago ne
married his second wife, childless widow.
Sks was twenty years younger than he. 1t
was assumed in all the country that she
woul1 inherit the ma jor portion Of mis- estate.
He hal made no will, but was expected to
cal in lawyer after New Years.
1.-TWO years ago he caused a great sensation
by engaging Chicago architect to design
for him . residence witch should be not only
magnificent in all respects, but air tight IRON
foundu: ion to garret. He little knew that he
was care. uliy preparing for the frightful
death OF himself and wife, as the sequel
shows. Rooney had horror OF
fire, and it was to provide against
tine fate which befalls SO many unpro-
tected country homes that he directed
the architect and contractor to spare neither
time nor expense in making the building as
close as portable refrigerator. The neigh
bors all agreed that the tottering old man was
losing his mind. When the structure was
COMPLETED the artisans had done their work
so we'll that with all the interior doors
open (the house had sixteen rooms) feather.
weight tests in all parts of it failed to show
thai there was the slightest draught. Rooney
and his wife had q sociable fondness for
whisky and often brewed their evening
punch with the favored hired man,
who also was allowed room
in the new mansion, and was their
solitary guest. He was deaf Swede and
spoke lew English words. His room was over
the Kitchen The other evening Rooney came
into the village and bought half gallon OF
whisky. After the supper dishes had been
cleared away he sat down with his wife in
the kit:hen, with the little jug between them.
How long they remained there is not known
just before the Swede retired he was invited
to join the old folks and had two punches
with them. When he left they were merry
.'In the morning the hired man awakened
with headache. His pillow was covered
with SCOT and a sickening odor pervaded the
atmosphere of his room Descending to the
lower uall, the stencil increased. Adjoining
the kitchen was the old gentleman's bedroom,
and next to it that of Mrs. Rooney. The door
of Rooney's 10 om was open. Peerng in, the
hired man saw his master prone upon the
floor, his clothing undsturbed. Upon shaking
the prostrated form the Swede found
it limp and lifeless Over the face of the
dead, and clinging to everything in the room,
was O black, sticky substance. The hired
man then looked into Mrs. Rooney's room
and the kitchen, and failing to find her in
either, walked to the house of one Of the sons,
half milo away, and related as best he could
the nature of his discovery, A party
OF neighbors, including a ply
sician, returned with the hired man,
and a more careful Investigation of
the premises were made. On the canter table
was the half empty jug and the glasses At
one side there was holo three feet long and
two feet wide burned through the floor.
Near by was a candle, half burned, and at
one end of the black trimmed aperture stood a
booted foot upright, charred remnant OF
the right leg protruding from the shredS
Of blistered flesh and muscle. The tail,
old-fashioned clock in the corner was open
and the key was on the floor. The hanging
fringe of the cloth had burned up close to the
circular edge of the table and then smoldered
out. as had the small patch on the floor,
all the agon;es of living cremation. In the
cellar they found q handful Of white roses, a
calcined skull and part Of vertebral col
umn.
1T was evident that Mrs Rooney was wind
ing up the clock when the candle accidentally
ignited her clothing. She was doubtless
weakened by the liquor she had drunk and
sank to the floor in fright She was large
woman, weighing 22e pounds, or. more;
Once prostrated she was unable to rise, and
the flames rapidly eating. through
her clothing to her body soon
began the work Of inciner
tion. A fire cavity was formed beneath her
in tho floor and as the concave furnace
burned slowly through to the cellar the
remains were gradually melted into
the handful found on the cement floor
beneath. Apparently one leg was extend
ed at length and burning off just above the
ankle, at the outer rim of the fire, the foo
righteI itself when dismembered. Rooney
was suffocated to death. The hired man i;
now abed and not expected to live. The
property will probably be divided among the