Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-11-17
A WOMAN ROASTED ALIVE.

Euveloped in il l,mes aud screaming
in her terrible agony, Mrs. Mary Chap
petite ran from room to room in her
home, in Philadelphia, yesterday, seek
ing in vain for relief. There was none,
however, until her clothes had been
practically burned up and herself was
but mass of chaired aud blackened
flesh
Mrs. Cbsppetie was preparing din
ner anu 10 expedite uaatters brought
into service Il vas stove, which she used
in conne elton with the cooking range
The gas stove Was siandiog on the floor
at the end Of the rauge, ana standing
in front Of she reached over TO get
something that Was on tie range. In
dong so the skirt OF her dress came in
contact with the flame from the gas
stove, and in = moment she WAS en-
veloped in flames, which spread like a
flash through The illmSy material OF her
dress.
When she realized her position she
ran screaming m,o he pnrlor. Her
cries brought TO ber aid her son,
Charles, aud little daughter, who
we're III auother par, f the house, and
who, upon seeing their alother's awful
plieht. grabbed up table coverings
ana rusS to wrap around her
with the View ot smothering the
flames In so doing the sou had his
nands aud arms badly burned, and see
lug thai. the mothers instinct for the
safety o her children overcamc Mrs.
Chappette even in her awful agony,
and tearing herself away she cried to
them to leave her alone and rushed
from the room.
She ran screaming from ono 10 the
other of the downstairs rooms until
ii laly, from sheer exhaustion and
with practically every stitch Of cloth
ing burned oil of Der, she fell to the
floor. Her piercing shrleks and the
commotion raised by her running
through the house, attracted the atten
tion OF the policeman on the beat, who
rushed in and succeeded in putting ont
what little fire was stil burning about
portions OF her clothing.
Her husband, Edward Chsppette,
had but few minutes before left the
house TO 90 TO the corner to buy pa
per aud the first iutimation he had oi
anything wrong WAS when be saw a
crowd Of his neighbors standing about
his house. Rushing in, sight that
would have made the stoutest heart
quail met his gaze, for still lying upon
tae floor was the charied and blacken-
ed body of the wife whom, but few
moments before, he had left a perfect
specimen OF healthy womanhood md
VINO, in anticipation of going out with
him in the afternoon, was hurrying TO
prepare she MONDAY meal
The unfortunate woman and her son
Charles were hurried to the German
Hospital and, although she was still
alive and conscious, the physicians saw
at glance that no power on earth
could save her life, and accordingly set
about to relieve her sutieriugs as best
they could until death could come to
her relief. Even IN this they eXper-
fenced some difficulty, for there was
not a spot on her entire body where the
cruel flames had not LETT their imprint
save her feet, which had been protect
ed by her shoes, and it was there that
the hypodermic syringe was injected.
Her hair was entirely burned oil of her
head, while her hands, arms and abdo-
men were completely charred.
Mrs. ChappetEe, who was 46 years Of
age, was a woman of most remarkable
constitution, as was shown by the fvct
that notwithstanding her fighlful
burns she fingered, contrary to the ex-
pectations of the hospital physicians,
until o'clock Sunday evening, when
death came as welcome relief Cbas.
Chappette, after having his burns dress
ed. was able 10 return home.