Bridgeton pioneer., 1901-08-01
GASOLINE CAUSES
HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.
Mrs. Sarah s. Trexler Burned to
Death in One of the Most
Horrible Accidents Possible.

Ihe most distressing, horrible trag-
edy, occurring in this city in years,
was that on Saturday afternoon which
resulted in the burning to death of
Mrs. Sarah L. Trexler, a most re-
spected widow who with her sons,
has lived on North Laurel street.
Early in the afternoon David Trek
Ter started a fire in the gasoline
stove in the kitchen. The flame was
irregular, and Mr.. Trexler concluded
that there was water in the gasoline,
and drew it from the tank into a
bucket The tank of the stove was
then reflled with fresh gasoline.
In re-lighting the fire Mr.. Trexler
used paper wafer, and after he had
touched off the flame, a bit of the
burned paper flew off toward the
bucket and fell in the combustible
liquid
Instantly there was blaze and roar
from the blazing bucket. Mrs. Trek
Ter was in the front part of the house
and hearing the roar rushed. back
through the house to the kitchen.
Trexler noticed his mother, and
called for her to go back, and he
would alone protect the house from
further danger.
Catching up the blazing bucket a
moment later Mr.. Trexler rushed
with it to the back door and threw it
out. A shrek from the rear step,
and Mr.. Trexler as Mortified to find
he had thrown the blazing mass upon
his mother.
Instead of Mrs. Trexler returning to
the sitting room as directed, and as
her son had supposed, she had rushed
through the kitchen to the back step.
When Trexler picked up the blazing
bucket he could not see through the
flame and hence the form of his
mother was obscured from view.
4 When the blazing gasoline was
thrown over Mrs. Trexler, her cloth
ing was instantly ablaze and she ran
screaming into the back yard.
Allen Hutchinson, Mrs. Trexler's S
son-in-law, was working in the back
yard and he rushed to aid the unfortu-
nate woman, endeavoring to cover her
with piece of carpet.
Before assistance could be rendered
nearly all of the clothing was burned
from the body and Mrs Trexler fell
upon the lawn
Horrible was her suffering, and
while she retained consciousness she
would not allow herself to be moved
She was bathed in oil, and finally in
about half an hour, Inconsistencies
mercifully relieved her.
DIR. Harris was first present, and
promptly afterward DR.. Cornwell and
DR.. oliver. For hours they did
everything that science and skill
might suggest, but the lady sank, and
at ten O'Clock Saturday night she
died.
The interior of the kitchen was
greatly damaged by the fire, all of
the furniture being destroyed.
An alarm was turned in and the fire
department responded, but the services
of the firemen were not needed.
Mrs. Trexler was fifty-fve years of
age. She lived with her sons, David
L. and Theodore W. She had two
daughters, one of whom lived in
Philadelphia. She came down here
Sunday, only to find he mother
dead
The most distressing accident awak-
ems the sympathy of the entire COM
unity, and the feeling of the people is
extended to David Trexler, who un-
consciously and blamelessly, too, was
prominent in the tragedy. Mrs. Trek
Ter was Christian woman, loving
mother, and the home life with her
boys was beautiful one.