Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-02-24
ROASTED HIS WIFE.

ROASTED HIS WIFE.
Acting under fiendish impulse en-
tirely due to extreme intoxication, Ma
chinist Robert Smith fatally roasted his
wife, Alice, at their home, in Philadel-
phia, on Saturday evening, then
peeled or wrenched the charred flesh
from the PROSTATE woman's arm while
his invalid little daughter and neigh
bor were trying to cover and shield her.
The man, ordinarily an industrious.
well-behaved citizen, was ARE sted, ar d
his terribly injured wife is undoubteG-
ly in dying condition at the Pennsyl-
vanis Hospital.
From the story of the couples Il.
year-old daughter Florence, who is o
victim of st. Vitus' dance, and addi-
tional details given by neighbor who
rushed TO the screaming and injured
womsn's rescue, the details of Smiths
shockingly tragic deed are as follows I:
In the middle of the afternoon the
drunken and uncomfortable husband
and father returned home. His daugh-
ter was sewing upon piece OF light
chintz cloth to make dresser spread.
"What are you making ?" snapped
out Smith, addressing the child.
"a cover for the dresser" replied
Florence, looking up in alarm.
"Well, I'll fix it for you !" he growl-
ed, as he grabbed the cloth from her
hands. Then he took match from his
pocket, lighted it and applied the blaze
to the chintz.
Mrs. Smith rushed toward her hus-
band to snatch the burning material
from him, when he desperately threw
it at her.
The flaming fabric came in contact
with and at once ignited Mrs. Smiths
clothing, and in an instant she was en-
veloped in fire.
Little Florence who would naturally
have been nervous and confused under
such distressing circumstances, was
doubly so owing to the nature of her
malady. She did the only thing she
could think of to save her flaming
mother. She drew bucket of water
from the hydrant. This consumed too
much time, however, and when the
water was thrown and finally coursed
over Mrs. Smiths body no clothing re-
NAMED upon her to be extinguished.
Screaming in agony Mrs. Smith rush.
ed into the yard entirely nude. She
fell as soon as she reached the air.
The shrieks of berself and her ner-
vous daughter attracted the attention
of the neighbors. A baker, who was at
work in a nearby building, climbed
upon shed, from which he could look
through the open back door of the
Smiths residence. Mrs. Mary Scott
saw him lying at full length upon the
shed and called to him to tell her what
had happened. The baker, however.
paid as little attention to the solicitous
inquiries of Mrs. Scott as he did to the
sutferings of the burned woman. Mrs.
Scott, therefore rushed into the Smith
house herself to see what was wrong.
The terrible suferings of his wife had
no modifying effect upon Smith, who
was still raging when Mrs. Scott ar
rived. Florence was standing beside
the PROSTATE woman, screaming and
wringing her hands, and Smith had
hold on one of bis wife's burned arms,
aud was trying to compel her to rise.
When Mrs. Scott came Smith vigor-
ously protested against her interference
and profanely ordered her to leave.
She is plucky woman, however, and
stood her ground.
"As nobody is here but this nervous
girl, I propose to act as your wife's
protector" she said.
By this time Mrs. Smith was begging
for something to cover her nakedness.
Mrs. Scott wrapped her shawl about
the PROSTATE woman.
After alternate pleadiDgs and COM
mands Mrs. Scott finally induced Smith
to help her and Florence carry the
burned woman into the house. When
Mrs. Smith had been laid on the floor
in the kitchen, Smith, whose insane
rage had not yet abated, tried to kick
her, but was prevented by Mrs. Scott.
The rescuer and Florence finally
managed to lift Mrs. Smith upon g
lounge, where towel was laid upon
her breast to supplement the scant
covering afforded by the shawl. This
act, for some unaccountable resson,
again angered the crazy man, and he
tore the towel away. In doing 80 he
also grabbed one of the arms of his
wife, and tore and peeled from it some
of the roasted flesh.
Being unable to coax Smith to call q
physician, Mrs. Scott notified Police
men Long and Smith, and the injured
woman was soon on her way to the
Pennsylvania Hospital. Smith was
locked up in the police station.
Mrs. Smith is 80 years old, and is not
likely to recover from the burns, which
cover her entire body.
The little daughter Florence says
that early Saturday morning Smith,
who was already drunk, sharpened. q
knife, and the entire family feared ne
would stab them with it, but he soon
Gained apparent control of himself, and
none of them dreamed OF such q shock
| ing tragedy as resulted from his de-
bauch.
The entering wedge Of 8 fatal complaints is
! often slight cold, (which dose OF two Of
Ayers Cherry Pectorsl might have cured al
the commencement. Therefore it u advisable
| .,: -o,,n@ and snra rnmoay elNEys