Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-11-28
A MOTHERS DEED.
She Cuts Her Children's Threats
and Then Attempts Suicide.
FATAL EXPLOSION UTAH NINE.
Horrible Charges Made Against the Pro-
prietress OF q Chicago Maternity
HospitaI-Many Lives Lost
in a Prairie Fire.

TACOMA, Wash, Nov. 24.-Mrs.
Swaernier the wife of a rancher liv-
ing in the northeastern section of
Lewis county, cut the throats of her
three little girls, aged respectively i've
years, three years and nine months
Mrs. Swaernier then used the knife on
herself, infiicting a serious but not
necessarily fatal wound. The three
year-old died almost instantly. the
jugular vein having been severed, and
the elder one is not expected to live
Swaernier, the husband, was at work
n barn short distance from the
house, which he had only left a few
minutes before, and when he returned
the mother and the three children
were found lying on the floor. bathed
in their own and each others blood.
The awful deed had been accomplished
by the aid of a common butcher knife,
the blade being driven into the Threats
of the victims. Mrs Swaernier has
been in i'll health for some time, and
she is believed to be insane.
FATAL EXPLOSION IN A MINE
SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 25.-A special
to the Tribune from Price. Utah, says
| a heavy explosion occurred at the St
Louis ellison Asphaltum Co.'S mine,
near Fort Duchesne, at three o'clock
yesterday afternoon. in which two
men were killed and three others in
jured. The killed are Charles Ander-
| son, of Ashley, Utah, and Andy earns,
of Park City. The injured men are
freighters from Price. Utah, named
Warren and Bunce, and one unknow n.
The explosion was terrific, the report
| being distinctly heard at Ernal, 80
miles distant. All the buildings at the
fort were shaken and many windows
| broken. The explosion was caused by
| the combustion of asphaltum dust and
gas, the mine Immediately taking fire.
| The heat is so intense that it is impos-
sible to get near it. The flames are
rising from all through the three
shafts, 100 feet in the air and no posi-
BILE way of extinguishing them. 1t is
not probable the bodies of Anderson
| and earns will ever be recovered.
HORRIBLE CHARGES MADE
| CHICAGO, Nov. 25.-The police are
closely investigating charges against
the Maternity hospital conducted by
| Mrs Benson, at Ill Honore street.
The sworn statement of Miss Alice
| Martin, who, with her infant is now at
the county hospital, is as follows:
| while 1 was in the house, said Miss
Martin, there were probably 25 cases
| of maternity handled. The children
never had to be cared for. / was wit
ness to the cremation of one infan
three weeks ago." Mrs. Grace Dono-
hue, of Houghton, Mich, who was
harbored temporarily in the Young
| Woman's Christian association home,
| said: 1.-The treatment my infant re-
ceived brought about its death. We
found two babies in bath tub one
day. and L knew of one which was
thrown into the furnace
LIVES LOST IN A PRAIRIE FIRE
GUTHRIE, Ok, Nov. 25.-A disastrous
prairie fire swept over the Seminole
country yesterday morning near Ro.
chelle. Sixteen persons, it is reported,
were burned to death by the raging
: flames. a Catholic mission was saved
by the heroic work of Sisters Freda
and Kirk These two sisters fought
the flames for two hours with blankets
and saved the lives of 20 Indian pupils.
The fire was started by outlaws who
were fleeing from posse of deputy
marshals. Most of the people burned
were half-breed Indians. Authentic
information concerning the reported
holocaust will not be availa BILE fol
some time as the scene of the fire is far
from a telegraph office.