Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-05-02
Another Glycerine Horror.

About half "a i've o'clock Of Wednrs-
day evening afternoon the people Of But-
Ter we're startled by au explosion that
shook the house. ot the southern part OF
the town These explosions have become
of such frequent occurrence that but few
people paid any attention Ia this one. but
those ia The vicinity of Mr,. Edwards
house on the hin. along the plank: road,
knew that the explosion had occurred
there and FASTENED to it.
The scene there was enough L. make
ones blood run cold. the porch on the
west side Of the house was demolished
that side of the house was shattered and
what remained Of Mrs. Edwards body was
luded ia the debris cf tie porch Her
limbs were blown tp fragments, her
clothing was torn oil ana vas lying in the
hall. her ewes were blown from their
sockets. aud her body was blackeued. 0ne
hand and pait Of tie arm were tound lying
in the yard few yards distant, aud the
body Of her pet black cat was lying about
twenty yards from The house in the same
direction.
Ia the Kitchen every thing was upset ez-
eepting the stove, in which there was no
fire, and a pet canary III a cage hanging by
the stove was singing away as though
nothing had happened.
The closet under the stairway, and the
steps were shattered, part Of the weather
boarding OF that side Of the house vas
knocked OF, and small bits Of tin were
sticking ia it, and broken glass was scatter
ed over both floors Of the house.
A. soon a. possible the body was placed
in a coffin and taken to Rev. London's, and
the house was nailed mp as beside the
back door which was blown to pieces, the
front doors at the other end Of hail had
been blown out, and nearly every window
On the lower floor shattered.
The announcement that there were some
empty glycerine cans in the cellar helped
to scatter the large crowd that gathered
around the house
Mrs Edwards lived alone in the house,
and her death, aud this disaster were
caused By the explosion Of an empty
glycerine can There Is a magazine for
nitro glycerine in the valley south Of the
hill, and il seems that the shooters, to save
themselves an extra trip to it, have been
hiding their empty cans i'll the fence corners
back Of her house, along the the plank
road. These cans are about the size Of
and somewhat resemble an unpainted
maple-Ryrup can, and few days ago Mrs.
Edwards found three Of them in one Of her
fence corners and took them home Two
Of them she put in her cellar, but the other
one, in which she noticed n little Of the
fluid she kept in the kitchen and used the
stuff on AN aching tooth. It made her sicL'
and on "Wednesday morning she consulted
Dr. Graham, told him where she had found
the stuff aud also that she
believed somebody was try
ing TO poison her, and he told her TO put
the cans back where she had found them.
What happened just previous 10 the ez-
plosion-whcther she took this can to the
west door Of the hall and dropped il on the
porch hBtLutI IL y d1 HJduAluE lHtit dih
she threw something heavy upon il,
whether she was carrying it and dropped
II or bumped it-no one can tell The
can exploded, Mrs. Edwards il dead, and
the house il shattered
That evening Coroner Storey being
absent from town Esq. Walker empancled
a jury and began an inquest or inye6tiga-
ton TO ascertain, il possible, who is re-
sponsiblo for this fatality, by reAsOn Of
leaving these cans where unguspecting
persons can reach them.
The evidence Of Dr. Graham aud bis wife
was taken and then the case was adjourned
till this (Thursday) evening at P. 81,
when it will be continued and the guilty
party or parties discovered, if possible.
Mrs. Edwards was about 80 years Of age
and she was the widow Of Robert Edwards
who died about fifteen years ago. Her
only child Rev. Robert Edwards, has
charge Of a congregation in Philadelphia,
and he was home On a visit to her last