Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-08-18
Burned to a Crisp.
BYRON S. HITE, FORMERLY OF
THIS CITY, MEETS A FEARFUL
FATE IN KANSAS CITY.
The Explosion OF a Gasoline Can Does
the Deadly Work-His Son Also
Badly Burned Will Be
Buried In Mexico.
Special Dispatch to the Ledger.

oPSSiAi DiSpstSn u ~ LeuRer-
KANSAS Cry, Mo-, August 49,
Byron S. Hite, of this city, former
ly of Mexico, was burned to death
at his home this morning at 9o'clock.
Hite took a can ofgasoline and some
sulphur to his hen house to destroy
the verminwhichin fectedhis hennery
and by some means the gasoline be-
came ignited and exploded, burning
him to a crisp before assistance could
reach him. His son, Willie, who
was with him, was burned badly
about the face and hands.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Special Dispatch to the Ledger.
KANSAS Cry, August 16.-B. S.
Hite, formerly of Mexico, was blown
to atoms by a gasoline explosion in
his barn this morning. His son
was also badly injured. The old
gentleman's death was instant. His
remains will be buried in Mexico
tomorrow. THE TIMES.
HITE's LOCAL HISTORY.
Byron S. Hite was the inventoro of
Hite's renowned heat fender, many
OF which are now in use in this city.
He was a Virginian by birth and
came from there to Fulton, Galloway
county, where he married, in 1859,
Miss Virginia Allen sister of Harvey
Allen, John Allen and Mrs. S. l..
Hickerson. Mr.. Hite was born in
1887. He went from Mexico to
Kansas City about three years ago.
During the war he was in the Con-
federate service. He was a member
of the M. E. Church, South. He
leaves a wife eand seven children,
several of whom are married.
The remains of B S. Hite, who was
killed in Kansas City by a gasoline
explosion, arrived yesterday af-
ternoon over the Wabash and were
buried in the cemetery at this place.
Mr.. and Mrs. l.. P. Smothers, the
latter a daughter of deceased, ac-
companied the corpse to Mexico.
From the Kansas City Star.
Byron S. Hite, aged 81 years, was
killed by the explosion of a can of
gasoline which he was using in the
stable in the zeal of his house, 3O39
East Seventh street, a few minutes
before 8 o'clock this morning. Will
Hite, his son, aged 8 years, was
badly burned Oil the hands, arms
and face.
The building was blown to pieces,
the debris was consumed by fire and
the body of Mr.. Hite was horribly
d%isfigured and partially consumed
by the fire.
After breakfast this morning Mr..
-
Hite determined to rid his hencoop
of chicken lice and so took a five
gallon cali partly filed with gasoline
and a dish of sulphur and went to
the barn in the rear of his house,
where the chickens were housed.
He partly saturated the walls with
gasoline and used it freely on the
perches and boxes. Then he pre-.
pared a small dish of sulphur and
set it afire, intending to thoroughly
fumigate the place. When he
struck the match he must have ig.
nited the fumes of the gasoline, for 8
terrific explosion followed. The
roof of the building was thrown
twenty feet away and the walls were
shattered. If not killed outright
by the force of the explosion Hite
was stunned and was unable to es'
cape. Flames followed the explo.
sion and an alarm was given.
Willie Hite, who had followed his
father to witness his work, ran Out
of the barn and escaped with only
some severe burns.
When the iremen had the fire
put out a search through the smok.
ing debris discovered the charred
body of the old man, which could
hardly be recognized. The coroner
ordered it removed to Welden's
morgue, but it is not probable thai
an inquest will be held.
Mr.. Hite owned his home anC
considerable other property in this
city. He had retired from active
buSipesS.