Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-03-21

ST. Paul, March ia most horrible
accident occurred yesterday morning
whereby Mrs, Frances Sumner and
Miss Nellie sClosson suffered awful
deaths. They were roasted to death
In a little fire in their residence. Miss
Closson lived until 2:55 in the after
noon and Mrs. Sumner until 5:45.
Mrs. Frances Sumner, who was a d.
vorced woman, lived at S33 Payne ave-
Il She was t~hirty-eight years old,
and had for a companion her niece,
Miss Nellie Closson, twenty-one years
or age. They occupied rooms on the
first floor of the house, the second and
third stories being occupied by Con-
ductor Wyman, his wife and little
child.
Mrs. Sumner arose n little after 7
o'clock yesterday morning to light a
fire in the stove, using kerosene. The
fire leaped up with an explosion and
set fire to the oil in the car which Mrs.
Sumner had in he: hand. 1t exploded
and was hurled to the ceiling. In
falling toward the floor it struck a
lighted Kerosene lamp, which was
turned over and also exploded. The
room was filed with fire and smoke
and Mrs. Summers clothing caught fire
Immediately. Miss Closson was sleep
ing In the adjoining apartment, which
was separated from the sitting room,
where the accident occurred, by a pair
Of pOrtiers.
Thinking the entire house was on
fire Miss Closson hastily wrapped her
self in a heavy quilt and
Rushed Through the Flames
toward 4 window. The room was a
seething furnace, the air seemed to be
on fire, and the shrieking women
breathed the living fame. How Miss
Closson retained life enough to stand
Juggling at the f~astenings of the win
dow while the burning gases in the
room surged about her, burning off
the covering and baking her living
flesh, may not be told. She did. how
ever, retain her senses, and finally got
the window open and jumped out in
the midst Of a burst Of fire which
rushed through the vent afforded by
the open window. The unfortunate
nm was entirely nude except for
some portions Of her undertaking
which had burned into her %blackened
flesh, and the keen air in her scared
lungs maddened her. She ran scream
ing dreadfully up and down the walk,
leaving bloody footprints to mark her
movements, until she fefl exhausted as
the firemen arrived. She was picked
up conscious and
Suffering Awful Agony,
and carried into Il nearby grocery
store. The tiremen made their way
into the house and found a few patches
nf fro In fhn moon, ~, ,rh;nh tho ~
ploSion occurred. 1t was but q mo
ment's work to ~extinguish the fire, and
the men made their way into the kitch-
en-, a room adjoining that in which the
fatality took place.
There Mrs. Sumner was found. She
was crouched on her hands and knees
In the attitude OF prayer, with her
clasped hands extended before her. her
face and body burned and blackened
in n shocking manner, and praying
aloud, in a voice that awed the fire
men, to be delivered from her awful
suffering.
DIR. Heath arrived at about this time
and examined Miss Closson first. 1t
was at once apparent that there was
no hope of saving her life, ana NOR
phine was administered to alleviate
her pain, but she remained conscious
and suffered to the last. Before dy-
Ing Miss Closson told of the entire oc-
currence at the house. She said she
formerly lived at Boscobel, Wis,
where her father, B. d. C1osson, still
resides. She left his home to come to
st. Paul and engage in the millinery
business. She was Il pretty brunette,
and was engaged to be married to
Conductor Alfred, of the Omaha road.
Mrs. Summers home was il, Richland
Center, Wis. Mrs. Sumner came to
st. Paul q few years ago with her hus-
band, from whom she obtained a d.
vorce some time ago on the grounds
OF ~non-Support.