The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-15
MAY DIE.
Lamp Thrown
BY Hand
OF DRUNKEN MAN.
Mrs. Woods Suffers Fearful
Agony From Burns.

Mrs William Woods, colored, of 10
Lily street, is in a precarious condition
at the city hospital, suffering from ter
rible burns. Her condition is the re-
suit of family row, during which her
husband hurled lighted lamp at her
The lamp broke, and the oil with
which her garments were soaked took
fire. Another woman who was present
finally extinguished the flames with an
old coat. and another occupant of the
house telephoned for the police ambu-
lance
When the ambulance arrived in
charge of Officer Hurley everything
was quiet in the house, all evidence of
a storm having passed. One of the
women who assisted in placing Mrs.
Woods on the streteher intimated,
however, that there had been trouble.
On the way to the hospital the woman
admitted to officer Hurley that her
husband threw lamp at her
On cutting away what remained of
the woman's clothes, the hospital doc
tors found her burned much worse than
was at first supposed. The lower part
Of her body, her legs down to her an
kles, her arms and shoulders, were
terribly burned. The opinion of the
doctors is that thereis about one chance
in ten for her recovery.
The condition of affairs was report
ed to Lieut.. Johnson of Station l. who
drove to the hospital and took the wo-
mans ante-mortem statement, after the
woman had been apprised of her con-
dition. When the doctors told her that
her chances of recovery were slight,
she replied that the Lord would bring
her through all right and that she
would come out all right.
The woman affixed her signature to
statement, in the presence of wit
nesses, that her husband threw lamp
at her that set her clothes on fire and
caused the burns. The statement was
also sworn to before DR.. Charles H.
Peabody, who is justice of the peace.
When asked what caused her hus-
band to take such action, Mrs. Woods
replied that he was cross and ugly
most of the time, and she supposed
something she said displeased him
The couple were in their kitchen when
the affair took place, and after a few
words he picked up the lamp and threw
it at her.
AS soon as the woman's condition was
learned, word was sent out to the Off
Ger on the beat to place Woods under
arrest. officer Walbridge went to the
him to the Waldo street station house,
where he was charged with assault for
the time being, the future charge de-
pending on the woman's fate.
Woods was considerably under the
influence of liquor when arrested, and
denied throwing the lamp, saying,
rather, that his wife was passing the
table when the lamp fell off and set
fire to her clothing.
The man is IS years old, and white
washer by trade. He is prominent
figure in labor union demonstrations,
and was at one time a special officer
on the Worcester force. He is an &C.
centric character and family rows
have been frequent at his house.
Dr. Peabody is authority for the
statement that a colored person IN a
majority of cases, is unable to stand
more than two-thirds as much burning
as a white person, without resulting
fatally. In view Of the womans con-
dition. the chances are slight that she
will recover At late hour this morn
ing she was suffering fearful agony.