Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-30
BURNED IN THE JAIL.
MAY GRAY, A LUNATIc, TAKES FIRE
WHILE LIGHTING HER PIPE.
She Rushes out OF Prison n shoot of Flame
and is so Badly Charred Thnt
She soon Dies.

Nav Gray, colored luDatic confined IN
the Henrico county Jail awaiting admission
to the asylum at Petersburg, was burned
to death yesterday afternoon while at
tempting to light pipe.
II is not positively known how her
clothes became ignited, and the first lnti-
nation that Major Burwell, the colored
jailer, received of the accident, was loud
rapping the prison door.
At that time he was in one of the rooms
in the basement below the courthouse;
He rushed out. unlocked the Jail door, and
beheld the woman in sheet OF flame.
GREAT coSsrERNATIoS.
She darted by him aud ran into the
kitchen, adjoining his room. setting tlre to
the curtains and creating great consterna,,
tion among several persons who Witnessed
the scene.
Major, although he realized the danger
of approaching the woman. ran up TO her
and attempted 10 put out the flames by
throwing blankets upon her. lie was
badly burned about the hands and also had
his face blistered severely in several places.
but under the excitement was not at first
conscious that ne was burt--in fact he felt
no pain.
HER TOES DBOppFD OFF.
The flames encrcling the woman were
soon extinguished. but she was found To
be horribly burned and although, DIR;
Chalkley, the jail physician, was called and
rendered all possible help. she died about
6:l5 o'clock. There was hardly an inch of
flesh on her whole body that was not
blistered or scorched and her toes were so
badly consumed that several of them
cropped off,
While terribly burned and suffering con-
siderable pain, the woman did not ex-
perience such extreme agony as might be
imagined. This IS generally the case
where such wounds are fatal. Major. the
taller, says he did not know he was hurt
until after he went for medicine To admin
ister to the woman.
WITH THE ALLEGED MURDEREss.
The deceased was confined in the south
western or "oldn part of the Jail and had
as her roommate Martha King. the ne
gro woman DOW awaiting trial ON the
charge Of beating her child to death.
Martha says she attempted to extinguish
the flames. which seem 10 have made con-
siderable headway on the woman :
clothing before her attention was attracted.
When the burned woman became enyeloped
in fire she was afraid to approach her.
The accident. which happened at time
when there were good many people ABOUT
the courthouse. created considerable ex-
cltcment. especially as the woman was
crying wildly and the ialler's wife, IN her
fright, also joined in the clamor.
NOT ALWAYS VIOLENT.
The dead woman, who was a native of
New York. had been in jail about two or
three months. She was about thirty-three
years old. and though not maniac was
quite violent at tunes. The jailer says that
She was worse when the moon was full than
on other occasions. though this IS probably
a superstition of his rather than a psyche
logical tact. Yesterday morning she was
very profane. though not otherwise par
ticularly wild.
Tho prisou/rs in Jail while not allowed
to have fire are permitted TO smoke, and
1t is supposed that the deceased obtained
matches either from Martha King or from
Lucy Dodson. another demented negress.
Whlls the case, strictly speaking, is
within the territory of Coroner Taylor II
will be investigated by the county authori.
ties who have jurisdiction and an inquest
will BE- held over the body tins morning.
The hour has not yet beon positively de-
cided upOn