Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-08

Mrs. Hannah Evans, aged 40 years, of
No. 1910 East Thirteenth street, was
burned TO death on Sunday afternoon,
before any assistance could rescue her.
The woman lived with her husband and
three small children, and, at the time Of
the fatal accident, these children were
off to Sunday-school and her husband,
Joseph Evans, was asleep up stairs.
Mrs. Evans was an inveterate smoker,
and after dinner she proceeded to light
her pipe, throwing the burning match
upon the floor. For time she stood
smoking away, the smoke rising in col
umns over her head and filling the
corner of the room where she was stand
ing. Suddenly she became aware of a
burning feeling about her limbs and
body, she said, and then for the first
time she realized that her garments were
atire. Still she did not move from the
spot where she was standing, and seemed
riveted to the floor by terror. The red,
glazing flame was fast enveloping the
woman's body and her predicainent was
an awful one.
Finally the spell was broken and with
wild, piercing shrieks that aroused tho
neighborhood Mrs. Evans rushed out
into the yard at the rear of the house
The moment she stepped out into the
open air the fury Of the sheet of flame
increased and swiftly the woman was
being burned to death. Two neighhors
Daniel Fletcher and Thomas Pancoast
were attracted by the woman's screams
and scizing two strips of carpet they
vaulted the high fence in the rear Of the
premises and clapped them about the
woman's body. The carpet also caught
fire, but through the desperate efforts OF
the rcscuers the flames were subdued
The fire had already performed its
deadly mission, however, and the
woman stood shaking with torture, the
quivering flesh having been Utterly
baked and roasted. Every stitch Of
clothing was burned from her body
The odor arising from the baked flesl
was keenly perceptible TO all
With a remarkable effort Mrs. Evan:
walked into the house, more dead thar
alive, and fell down exhausted on the
floor. Her suffering was dreadful t
witness.
The husband was aroused from hi.
stupor by the noise and came dreamil,
down stairs. The moment he behelC
his wife burned as black as cinder h,
exclaimed: "My God, Hannah, how die
you get burned like that" The woman
was then barely able to detail the cir
cumstances of the awful accident
Meantime message was being sent fo1
DIR. John p. Pyle and another for DR.
George W. Mann. Both soon arrived
but could do nothing to save the pa
TENTS life.
The woman fingered in great agon,
r1ntil o'clock when death removed hei
from all suffering. Previous to this
however, she called her three children
to her side-Reese, aged years, Mary
aged II, and Levi, aged 16-and kissed
them one by one, stating that she wa
about to enter another world and bad,
them take good care of themselves unit
mother and offspring should meet again
She also said goodbye to her husband
in q calm, deliberate manner, anV
charged him with the care of her chill
dren. With these last wishes she sanl
back on her couch and in few min
utes was corpse. The husband left tn
house shortly after his wife's death ant
declared that he, too, would follow hi
wife by suicide. He returned, however
late in the evening.
Coroner Sparks took charge Of tn,
body after the shocking accident be
came known and gave certificate o
death from causes as stated above. TIL
children during the night were givel
shelter in the house of S. B. Springer.
+ 1t was stated afterward that the dc
ceased woman was addicted to laudanun
drinking, and it was thought that Will
in this stupor the flames made their frs
Roadway. She frequently walked abou
the floor in her sleep, it was said, tn
terrible habit having so taken posses
sion of her reason. Her husband is
painter at Chester, Pa.
AS soon as his mothers death wa
made known Levi Evans, aged 16 years
determined to commit suicide with hi
father and three times was he taken Of
the railroad track near the Pullma
palace car shops where he was bent O
self-destruction by throwing himself i
front OF a locomotive. His little sis:c
suffers the loss Of finger, mangled b
some machinery while working in mil
The remains of Mrs. Evans were in
tered at 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon i
Riverview cemetery. Undertaken Paine
had charge of the funeral. Funds ia
paying for the burial were collected b
Samuel Beck saloon keeper Mt ThiI
tenth and Head streets, by Mrs. Der
son, "a charitable neighbof, and by III
Rev. II. S. Dulaney of Kingswood y
U. Church.