Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-09
A FRIGHTFUL FATE.
A Terrible Accident near
Washington Street.
A CAN OF GASOLINE ON FIRE
A Woman Lying at the Point Of
Death as the Result
Thereof.

dieisoisine incident occurred vu Thursday
worains on New England avenue, OF washing
ton street, ttat VIII in all probability result In
soul being hurriedly ushrfed into eternity
1hc scene was little eottagc occupied BY a
carpenter named Hiekf, who with his flmily,
consisting Of a wife ana three childsea, arrived
here from Canada some few months ago. hicks
was working on q bsildh,a near 10 bis home,
and left sor the place Of his labors accompanied
by hia eldest son, about 8 o'clock in the nom
Ing. Ills wife was thea engaged in preparing
breukfast for the rest of tho family,
tis.sg for this purpose az ordinary gasoline
etore. sho hilod the tans fron . large two-gal.
Ion can which she then placed on the floor and
proceeded 70 fight the Jets. shc threw the
match TO the ground and like hasn Of Hgbtn-
ina blazo gprang up setting Are 10 her dress
and spreading about the Kitchen floor. she did
not notice that her garments had isnited and
with The idea Of Of saving her home from de-
struetion she rushed outside with bucket 70
obtain water with which 10 quench the flames,
which now Tapped the side OF the wall. 5ome
workmen passing by in. the distrnee noticed
that her clothes were burning and shouted
Fire. but even then she did not notice her
own darger and returned TO the house WITH
p q wSas hSd hS
then she rushed shrfeEfng to the sidewaik,
maddened by pain and excitement, for her
gsns gsmes "s,S Ter Cries M awakened her child.
ren, and her son aud daughter, at
tired only in their night garments, spsang
from the hrst floor window and hestened to
the rescue Of their mother The boy got q
bncket OF water VIII 'ch he threw over her. and
tho girl, with true flial affection, proceener TO
extineuish her mothers burning garments with
her own gcanty raiment, severely burning her
hands and arms in so doing. BY this time the
workinen had arrived, and they succeeded Ia
completely cxtingushinR the flames, and then
turned their attention to the fire In the house,
which they also soon succeeded In quench
ing. Mrs. Hicks presented terrible sight as
they bore her tenderly within the butl ding.
Her clothes were literally reduced to tinder,
and the skin, burned completely from her body,
hung In shreds from her pearon. ltwas an
awfIl sight for her husband when he returned
u few minutes afterwards, a messenger having
been hastily dispatched for him. Medical AID
was at once ummoned, but after examination
the doctor pronouIcedthat N was almost I'M
possible forher 10 recover,and proceededto doall
In his power 10 alleviate the terrible suicrlngs
OF the poor woman. She was abletto speak, put
had happened, she being OF the opinion that
the stove had exploded, though this was after
wards proven 20 be mistaken idea as the
stoye was in nowise injured or disturbed. All
day long and through the night she lay, tended
by her sorrowing children, who watched over
her in q manner that proved what good
cndeared to their hearts. She was kept
under the influence OF opiates as
otherwise her sutfsrings would have driven
her frantic, and there she lay lowering between
life and death until another day broke and
found her still holding the grim visitor aloof
When a HERALD reporter called yesterday
afternoon ID was plain TO be seen that the end
was near. The poor woman lay with tho tfim OF
death fast settling on her brow. while ever and
anon crushed ice was placed between her open
lips to cool the parched tongue that cotild no
longer ask for help. The doctor said that she
would not, in all probability, live to see the
light Of another day, and 4 his surnises be
correct, she will by the time this article is being
read, have been called away from her suffer
ings to an eternal rest