Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-10-02
BURNED TO DEATH.
Horrible Fate Of Mrs. Mary
Seaman, Sunday Morning.
Was Burned to 4 Crisp At Her Home
on Court Street.

Was Burned to 4 Crisp At Her Home
on Court Street.
4 sAselies Aee,tssa-ssa t',sls paasss :,
Flss b uesss.
Early Sunday mesnisg. at about l.sC
O'Clock. an alarm vas runs 10 from box IS,
on the Granite National Bank building. feI
. firs in the welch house ON Court street,
occuried BY James Scanlan. in which Ere
his = life, M,s. Mary Seaman, lost her life.
The alarm vas rune in BY Will leighton,
word having been brought him BY Miss
C4sy, who lives in the lower tenement Of
the house, and Who had been told ty
Mamie Scanlan that the latter's mother vas
on Ore.
Amoag those fret on the scene we're
Nigh. of:icsf R,ynes. Assistant Day Bag.
gage Master I. J. Clark, Will Leighton,
John Dunton and +. NJ. Dean, Boston
travelling man.
They found the house full Of smoke, hai
no Ere. Officer RAynes vent 10 through
the smoke to the rear or bedroom and felt
about in the dark, tut found no one. Al
he vas coming out he came across James
Seaman, sitting "all in heap" overcome
BY the smoke, and carried him out.
T.J. Clark followed him in and In the
front room or kitchen found the smoulde,
ing body Of q woman, which Clark carried
ont with difficulty. The body was put upon
the side = ak outrids against the bank.
Henry Plummer, Undertaker Jaquith's
assistant, was on hand with great prompt
ness and took charge Of the body, removing
is TO Mr.. J.quith's rooms.
The DO " Was found to be in terrible con
ditto !. The flesh ~as badly burned, especi-
ally shout the breast aud face, which were
literally charred. the face being hardly
recognizable. The shoulders, arms and
legs were also terribly burned. The clothes
were dropping OF and had been burned to
charcoal.
The right arm was raised and the elbow
was tent, bringing the forearm across In
front Of the breast. This arm was also
burned black. The left srm was raised
- sbo h<,lS,
Mrs. Seaman was found dead, in
from. of the sink, and had evidently
reached up for water pail that stood there,
only to die in the endeavor.
She made no outcry and Mamie, her To-
year-old daughter, who was asleep in an
upstairs room, was aroused BY the smoke
and ,mell.
DR.. II. J. Frederick was quickly called.
From a careful examination of the body he
decil,d that Mrs. Seaman had not realized
the FIRE until il had made considerable head.
way, and then she started for the water
pail. From the position rhe was found in
and from the fact that she had made TO
outcry, the doctor concluded that che was
suffocated and had suffered only Sigh.
pain.
co,oner w. II. Libby reached the house
anita early and made a careful investiga-
t,oo .x.minicp Mis-, Mamie Scsnlan and
Mrs. Casey, the latter being also an inmate
of the house.
M. Libby decided that, As Mrs. Scanlan
had unaoubted come to her death as re.
,u,t of nm accident, there was no need oi
An ipouest.
Mr.. Libby saws that as far as be can
learn. Mrs, Seaman and her husband had
baeu drinking the night before and had
gone TO .leep 10 the front room, intoxicated
Scau,sn ON the lounge and Mrs. Scanlon
on the {, ,or, wrapped about with quilt AMI
other bed doth. ., and with pillow under
her head. all Of which articles were burned
tn A powder.
Mrs. Scanlsn probably aroused and triet
Ia strike Iiah. and, bt Jog still in stupe
fed eoud tion, set fire to herself.
An sort, of rumors were circulated or
sund ~ in regard to the cause Of her deatl
having been foul play. but the result Of q
care suI investigation by Its reporters lead'
the JouRSA, to say that these reports arr
upfound, d and were often maliciously cir
,ula,xd.
The FIRE wss very slight and was soon pu
ont. II seemed from an inspection Of tht
rom. Immediately afterwards, as il it hal
tp.n confined 10 one spot and had evidently
,.,ugb, from the woman. This burnt spo
was ,ir.c,ly in front Of the sink where tn,
body ws. found and had some remnants o.
the ,harr,d clothing about it. Nothing VA
burned except The woman, Mary Scanlan.
James scanIan AMI his daughter wer,
csrad for bv friends and were taken away
=. .oo, ~. po.,ible. Mrs. Casey, who i
20 hal been taken I, the home Of heI