Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-09-13
Horrible Death of Bessie Ly-
man Last Night
FROM A KEROSENE LAMP
Her Clothes Catch Fire and sho Screams
FOR Help, But 1t Comes too Late. An
ME Smith. Her Alleged Slayer,
Now in Jail.

hurled the lamp that set fire 70 the
s1ris dress and caused her death, is
{ li:anguishing in the city Jail.
f4Vaoence as to how the woman met
usi ueath IS not cumulative for the
agree. W. ~
,.AIcerhlng to the story Of Jenie Delk,
the proprietress of the house. Bessie
4 Lyman and Annie Smith went drivin..
IN the afternoon. Among the places
tney visited was Point Breeze. During
The evening they were drinking. and
potfa Wrra under the influence of liulor
ABOUT 3 asioek tho two women
together with Lula Perkins. Jennie
Delll and others, We're sitting in the
dining room on the first floor. Annie
WAS quarelsome. She accused Lula
3 Perkins of slapping her over and hurl-
st tin water pail at her. which the
latter lodged. Then .Ann.e picked 10
he glass lamp on the centre table and
instantly hurled it ut Lula Perkins.
The lamp struck the wall ana fell at
rhe feet of Bessie Lyman. When it
Ie!' tn the floor there was n loud :rport
s1il.! a mass of ilanle rose u the ceiling
9ess!e was ROBBED in Il bose mother
nnnhard" Or WRAPPER. The wrapper
!'auEht IN the rear and the flames shot
Up her back. The woman shrieked
'rantically and rushed out of the room
20 the front door. Finding thc ;loor
locked size turned ana retraced her
steps going OH insn the hack yard.
All iha time lh.. flames We're envelop-
ms her body and she WAS shrieking for
heir. She made circuit of the yard
anu then rtutrned To the house Her
companions had lied With fright. but
two men Wbn were attracted by the
sEan.ica screams. ran to her assistance.
" lI MY they ierkeu of their coats
~ 'h,eW Them around tho woman.
AleeE th4 flames haa been smpthered
Bessie was carried to- Il room on the
second floor aDd placed an n he'd
~ The mean time scores Of people
mad bee! attracted To the house by the
tortured woman's screams and several
hastened for a physician. Drs w. r.
Z Cooper and j. Kennedy Corss were
ss: Ny hsR
ne Writ pa begging
Z Patf:6Esly FOR rf.!le IL assimilation
Y Her bust and back had been burned to
d g crisp, the face was scorched beyond
s fscpsnitlba pa ief arms Aere plffed
hugs, h.iste!s and her. mir had been
sihsed;' 10 :the scalp. Then, too. She
had been burned internally y glance
t;n1 the nhfSiclana that life you'd
soail rs fxtlnt}.
tones tfat bespoke anguish, and added,
II do NOT want to die! Saw me, doc
tor. save me, pleased
The physician could do nothing, but
, he told her that she would die. Then
he placed her under the influence OF
in2rpnins. a few 4imen,enis later. a
Woft;in' VINO had fallen from the high
!sst pinacle OF woman hood to revel in a
ile Of leg1seda ton lna shama. sank
Il ma q stuppr to dream. psrhaps, of the
days of her maidenhaod. when she was
as pure as the rose that unfalded It's
petals 20 ths hrs! pInsn pf morning,
TIL life slowly ebbed it's way out of ;hs.
charred and tlebauchr,i frame and took
flight to the great beyond, there to
explore the mysteries of eternity ana
render an account of the deeds done in
th. flesh
peFor=, BESSIE sank into a state of
coma Father Charles e. Donnahoe
pastor OF ST. Nincents Catholic church.
who had been summoned. administered
E conditional sacrament. After re-
gei.-infs Ihe ministrations of Father
s9onnahoe, Bessie closed her eyes and
fell asleep.
The scene presented in that little
chamber where the dying Woman lay
Etnnal ne portrayed lily the pen. 1t
Was Il sad picture presenting as it did.
the close of the life of a woman who
was once petite and fair. but now a
n hideous sight. Instead Of the taken
hair that hung in ringiets down her
z pack, and the cheeks yet flushed with
the 'bloGd of youth. the form had been
PERVERTED into I: blackened mass; the.
cheeks once tinted With natures mark
OF health we're paid: n handkerchief
YVES bound around the chin TO keep
the mouth closed, and the teeth stood
out like miniature pillars. Many
(; people gathered around the bed to see
the girl breathe her last sbreath. Some
only paused at the door long enough to
3 get a glimpse ana then passed quietly
away. Tits morning at 1920 o'clock the
soul Of Bessie Lyman. as she was
h known In this city, but whose
right name was Bridget Maloney, took
flight from its wrecked tenement of
~ into which the breath OF life had
been breathed just nineteen summers
ago. and scared into eternity,
3 \ lariIgst Malonsy, tor this was really
: heI. name. canie here Sunday from
Richmond. She was well known in the.
II houses Of iii fame, having visited this
\ city at interval Is for the last three
/ years: Her home. though. was IN
4 |SichnpnA. where She is survived by a
/: widowed mother and two brothers.
+ One Of her brothers, Michael. was once
story Of her life ia not known. She
was born in ireland and came to
America when quite a child with her
parents.
s. The remains will be sent TO Rich
y mond this morning for interment.
i As soon as it became known that a
4 woman had probably been burned to
death in Jennie Delk's house Police
Sergeant J. w. Reynolds and Officers
Y FRAY ana: GGur.n went theirs. After
4 maiting an Investigation Sergeant Rey-
5spolls placed Annie Smith under ar
pest ana took her to the city jail. The
woman was drunk and did not make
Y any statement, for she was not per-
Z nitted to do SO by her friends Her
X right name is Annie Swanson. She will
Il probably be given a. hearing in the
police court this morning. Her plea
Will probably he accidental homicide.
4 for she will maintain thatshe was not
ss;laFreiing with -Eassie. In that event
4 She Can be held for.5inVoiuntary man
slaughter if not for a greater degree
4 of crime. So far as Is known the
~ Two Wenen were on the best oGy%terms
& and Annie seemed greatly affected
a1Ne 49,, -. -