The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-19
WAS BURNED TO DEATH
Terrible Fate Of a CuIored Woman Who
Smoked Pipe In Bed.
MAMIE WHITE DRUNK ON The FLOOR.
Rnew Nothing orthe Awful Accident
The Victim, Was Taken 10 st. Win.
CENTS Hospital, Where She Dted
After Two Hours OF Agony-Her
Companion is in the Lock.Up.

In the lower story of No. 8 Plume
street. lives Nancy Morse and her family.
lhe gqrret floor up TO 1880 O'clock last
hisn' was occupied by Daniel Allman6,
mas wife Laura. aged. SO. and Mamie
White, thirty years her Junior. They
are all coiored people. the women earn
Ing living by washing.
Mamie White has an unfortunate
haoit of getting drunk and sleeping un-
oer the bed, while the Allmand woman.
VINO had been Ill for long time-nearly
year-was slave to tobacco, and
smoked her pipe in bed every night. If
1T had not been. for these idiosyncra sIes
the terrible accident which occurred
there last night would never have been
recorded
Just before the hour and minute re-
ferted to above John Thomas, a small
colored boy, who was on the second
fioor, heard screams Issuing from the
attic, and was told by his mother to
go up and investigate. The boy was TOO
frightened to do so. and the cause of
the disturbance was not known until
tee inmates of the first floor had been
aroused. Meantime, some one on the
outside. hearing the noise turned ir a
general fire alarm and the department
came out quick. a chemical extinguisher
was carried hurriedly up stairs through
'ehc frightened. half-clad throng, and n
glance revealed a bed in one corner Of
the low room wrapped in flames, which
were put out in a few moments by a
judicious use of the apparatus.
Underneath the bed was found Mamie
White, stretched out at full length upon
the floor dead drunk. and utterly OBJ
livious To the fire. smoke and confusion
around her. and TO her narrow escape
from death. Upon the couch. lay the old
woman. Laura Allmand. wrlthing and
moaning In her agony and terribly
burned about the face. body and limbs.
Upon the same floor her husband was
discovered. He had been unable to rem
der any assistance. because, as he ex-
planned. he was tired"
+ The apparatus was sent back to the
departments and the patrol wagon be-
Ing summoned. conveyed both women to
the station-house. where they were
placed upon stretchers and taken back
into the cell room. 4 superficial exami-
nation quickly proved the serious condi-
tion of the Older woman. Her face had
been scorched and burned very badly
and the flesh upon the lower limbs lit
orally cooked She was placed again in
The wagon and taken 10 ST. Vincents
Hospital. where she received the i'm
mediate attention of the house physician
But his efforts were of no avail. the
unfortunate victim dying lust beford
O'Clock in the morning. two hours after
being removed 10 the hospital. a Coro-
ner's inquest will be held upon the re-
mains to-day.
Mamie White. still unconscious of her
surroundings, was left upon the cot at
the station house, and will know moth
ing abou, the fate of her companion or
anything else until some time this morn
Ing. wheu she will. doubtless. be sur
p!ised TO hear of what occurred.
The only possible explanation of the
accident is that the old woman went TO
bed with her pipe in her mouth and fell
asleep with IT still lighted: that II fell
fronn her mouth, the sparks setting fire
10 the bed clothing. Neither the room
nor any other article in it. was injured
by the flames.