The morning call., 1891-03-16
AN AWFUL SCENE.
Woman Enveloped in Flames and Cry
ing for Help.


ing for Help.
Mrs. Maggie Lee Woods, wife Of James
w. Woods. was burned TO. death at her
home, 4222 Page avenue, at o'clock yester-
day afternoon, and the residence was almost
entirely destroyed by fire, while the wom-
ans husband sat at work in the Treasurer's
Office of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Com
pany all unconscious OF the crushing blow
descending upon him. The circumstances
surrounding the death Of Mrs. Woods, a
very pretty, intelligent and accomplished
young woman, are peculiarly sad, says the
st. Louis Post-Dispatch
Yesterday being Saturday she, like many
housekeepers, decided to give tue rooms
thorough cleaning.
After luncheon Mrs. Woods and her col
ored servant-girl took down the portieres to
clean them. A five-gallon can of gasoline
has been left at the house in the morning
Tor use in the gasoline. stove which Mrs
Woods used in cooking She had been told
that gasoline would clean wooenS, and de-
cided to try it on the p0riieres The cOloTed
girl carried large wash tub up from the Gel
lal and set it in the dining room near the
foiding-doors, and about three feet from
square base-burner stove in which strong
hre was burning. Into this tub
Mrs. Woods poured about two gallons OF
gasoline and then set the can containing the
remaining three gallons in corner of the
room about two feet from tue stove. Mrs.
Woods and the girl then began washing the
portieres with sp0Dges. The colOred girl
stepped out to the back porch leading from
the kitchen TO the yard to hang one of the
portieres on line TO dry, and while so en-
gagged she heard Mrs. Woods scream. Run
ming into the kitchen she saw through the
door a mass OF flames in the dining-rOOm.
The fumes from the gasoline had reached
the stove, caught fire. and like fash con-
veyrd the flames to the tub of highly infanl-
mable liquid. Mrs Woods was dressed in
loose-ftting house wrapper, which had be-
come wet with gasoline, and in an instant
she was a sheet of living flame surrounded
by room of fire.
The girl, seeing her mistress staggering
toward the kitchen door, ran to her rescue
and caught hold of her arm. but when the
fire caught her dress and hair and burned
her hands, she spranS away from the burn
ing woman and ran into vacant lot next
door to call for help. Three lab0rers were
at work on a new building adjoining, and
ran to the house at once.
Some children playing in the loft OF a
stable in the rear of 1924 Evans avenue.
directly across the street from the Woods
house, heard the explosion, and seeing the
smoke called Ephriam SavlgDac, whitener.
The sight that Savignac witnessed from the
time his attention was first called to the fire
is best told by himself:
9 | ran across the lot aud up to the front
he. In the hallway, which led to the
kitchen and had doors opening to the din
ing-room and parlor, | met three men.
They were quietly standing there with their
heads in the parlOr door.
=" saw bright light in the parlor and
heard a woman screaming and at the same
time crying, VIII no one come? Nv Godl
will no one come? Where is my husbandP
| could not understand why the men stood
there mOtioness They took up the entire
1f tlsa hngn nrNNFar Il
make way for me | pushed them aside and
jumped into the parlor.
| hope | may never look upon another
such sight again. The flames were rolling
along the ceiling and up the woodwork and
the smoke filed both rooms. Ia the center
of the dining-roOm. with her feet on the
threshold of the kitchen door, l saw
woman lying on her back. She was naked.
her clothes having been burned off her, and
she was in the last agonies of death. Her
limbs were drawing up ard her hands
were up to her face. Dropping on
my hands and knees l crawled rap
Idly to her. On the sink L saw bucket
of water, and this threw on her. Then 1
ran back and jumped over the woman's
body and catching her by the leg, tried to
drag her from the burning building. The
flesh and stocking came with my hand.
called to the three men in the parlor to
help me, but they did not move. Seeing a
carpet rug in the doorway l picked it up
and caught hold OF the w0man'5 limb again.
/ dragged her through the parlor into
the hallway. l asked the three men for
coat or rug, but they only stood and looked
at me. Taking the woman in my arms,
carried her to the porch and laid her
on the wet boards. Her corsets, the only
remaining article OF clothing on her body.
was on fire, and tearing this off l threw
my coat over her. Those three men
their coats to cover her. Mrs. Mary
Connors, nv neighbor, finally threw me her
shawl, and l carried the woman to the house
of James T. Martin, 1920 Page avenue,
lew doors west
81 did not believe until one hour ago that
three men could stand cOldly by aud see a
woman roast to death without Offering any
assistance whatever, and when it was within
their power to save her. Thirty seconds or
minute earlier and | might have saved Mrs.
Woods life."