Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-23
LITERALLY ROASTED.
An Aged WOman's Horrible Fate
This Morning.
ALONE IN HER INTENSE MISERY.
Mis-, Won R0hr Burned AlmO,t to
Dsa h i'm he- I:Ome. 22OI Fourth
Avenue. BefOIe Being Dis.
coveres-Death h T. Only
Relief.

Relief
Ia little brick house at he northeast
corner of Fourth avenue and Twenty
second street. which has been her home
for half a century. lies Mrs. Won Rohr in
the most excrucisting and pitiable tor
lures. with death holding the only hope
of relief.
Shortly before II o'clock this morning
Mrs. Charles Cool who lives over o.
wald's grocery, on the corner opposite,
looked down into the rear room of Mrs.
Won Rohr's house and was Mortified at
sight Of flames arising from a couch in
the back of the room and which the aged
woman appeared to be beating back with
her arms as she lay on the bed. Mrs.
Cool at once notified her husband, who,
rushing over to Mrs Won Rohr's house
aud forcing in the door. found the un-
fortunate woman wrapped il flames. the
bed clothes and the garments which COW
cred her body being mass of fire, while
the woman herself was almost uucon-
scious. Mr.. Cool siezed quilt which had
not been already burned, and threw it
over the women and wrapping it about
her succeeded in smothering the fire.
though not until his own hands were
badly burned. DR.. Barth vas then SUN.
moned as was DR.. Carter. The physicians
examination revealed the unfortunate VIC
the face, neck, arms and body, especially
over the stomach and abdomen was literal
ly roasted. and fell off at the slightest
touch. The hair was entirely burned
from the head and the scalp burned and
blistered to such an extent that if there
were possibility of the women living it
would peal off and no hair would grow
upon it again. The doctors administered
an opiate aud under its influence the
poor creature obtained some relief, though
in her delirium she en;reatIngly exclaimed
in German. Help me. Help me-" Her
children who live in the city were sent for
and she is being nursed by them and
given as much ease as is possible, though
DR.. Barth states that death is only ques-
ton of a very short time, if indeed she
does not die from the shock, her flesh not
only being burned to frightful degree
but her entire system has been subjected
through inhalation to the fire and smoke.
A PECULIAR LIFE.
The aged women had led peculiar life.
For forty years, or during her entire resi-.
dence in Rock Island, she had lived where
she this morning met her fate She has
had variety of matrimonial experiences,
her first husbands name beng Frank.
After his death she married a man named
Wolff and after his death she welded a
man named Christian Won Rohr.
Eight wears ago he sustained fall
resulting in paralysis. He fingered in a
state of helplessness until year ago
when he died at the county farm. She
had six children by her first husband.
They are Mrs. NJ. Goodman and Henry
Franks, of this city, Amiel Franks, of
Sears, John Franks, of St. Louis, Emily
now married and living in California, and
Caroline, also married, and residing in
Mexico. None of her children had lived
with her for years. and she had become
character in the ne!ghborhood through
her long residence. exclusive habits and
peculiar inoffensive ways SIZE was SO
years of age.
How the accident happened is UNI
known, though the superstition is that
her clothing was iguited while she was
attempting to light the fire in the cook
stove, as a bucket of coal and parcel of
kindling wood stood near, and that being
unable to subdue the flames, she flung
herself on the couch. 30 far al efforts to
learn anything from her have failed owing
to her condition.
Two weeks ago she fell on the stove
while it was red hot and inflicted a Sc
we're scar on the neck, which had not yet
healed.