Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-01-06
Mrs. Ear Bennett Burned to
Death.
Westphalia Times.

fire. The place OF the fire was at the
nome of Ear Bennett, where he and hi.
wife lived alone. 1t was about nine
o'clock, Just at the close of the exercises
and distribution of presents at the M
Z. church. Walter Hatten was the first
to pass the place, and discovered dry
grass burning in the back yard, which
he put out. a broom leaning up
against the house was found on fire. BY
this time an unusual noise in the sitting
room was heard, when he forced the
front door open and was almost repulsed
by smoke emitting theretrom. The i'll
terror was on fire and the horrible sight
of person being burned alive met his
gaze. 1t was that of Mrs Bennct> He
rushed in, picked her up and dragged her
to the door, when, by this time, assist
ancc arrived, and Postmaster Bcissel
carried her out to the walk. Life had al
most ebbed away, and Jas Agnew ex-
tinguishcd the flames in her clothing
with pail of water hurriedly gotten.
She was taken a few steps farther, to Jere
Ortons residence, where she died, never
uttering a word. By this time many
were on hand and the fire put out. which
had not yet gotten beyond control.
Everything points to an explosion of
the lamp and the spilling Of the oil upon
Mrs. Benefits clothing. From the
traces of the fire she must have rushed
out of the house through the dining
room and kitchen to the back yard, thus
setting fire in her path through the house
and outside. Frantic with pain she
rushed back; where she fell in the middle
of the floor, where found, death coming
| in a few minutes afterward to relieve her
terrible suffering. Her clothing was
burned off, and her body almost in a
crisp, which presented a most horrible
sight. Mr. Bennett, away I'D in the COS
and feeble, had crept to the south bed
chamber and escaped injury. The fire
was getting under pretty good Roadway
when discovered, and, had the blinds
not been closely drawn, it might have
been discovered before, and Mrs Ben
nett's lite saved. The excitement was in
tense, and before half an hour after the
first alarm, half the populationg OF
Westphalia was on the spot. The body
was removed to the home OF her son
Leslie, where it was kept until O'Clock
next day.
Sarah Jane Human Bennett was born
January 3, 1923, and had she lived ten
days longer, would have been II years
old. She was married to lar Bennett,
! hpiii 10, iooz, ana ~ livm Wei, iJoin
| Zarr E., Leslie II. and Fred S. Bennett,
who still survive. Mrs. Bennett has
spent the last twelve years in Westphalia,
and everybody loved Grandma Bennett,
as she was Familiarity called. She was
converted when quite young, and has al
ways lived an exemplary life. At the
time of her death she was member of
the Westphaia NJ. f. church, from which
her funeral was preached, Sunday, De
ccmbcr 20, 1898, at 8 O'Clock p m, Rev.
ZONES officiating, after which she was
laid to rest in the cemetery south of
town. The funeral was very largely at
tended, which certainly shows to out
siders the high esteem in which deceased
was held. An aged and feeble husband
and her sons and their families have the
greatest sympathy of all.
May heaven atone for all her earthly
suffering.
LATER-Since tbs above has been put
in type, Grandpa Bennett, after recover
ing from the terrible shock, says the
lamp was not exploded. 1t was on the
stand-table, and in some way fell to a
chair and then to the floor, breaking a
small hole in the side and spilling the oil.
Mrs. Bennett started to carry the lamp
out, which scattered the oil and fire,
hoping to save the house and not think
ing of her own danger. Being helpless,
almost, he sought refuge in the bedroom,
thinking the fire would be extinguished.
1t was purely accidental.