The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-23


has witnessed was enacted in South
Scranton yesterday morning. A lamp,
thrown by an intoxicated father, set
fire to his home and his infant daugh-
ter, asleep in bed. perished in the
flames. while his wife and sister sus-
tanned burns which may be attended
with serious results.
The scene OF the unfortunate occur
renee was the two-story frame dwell
ing at 926 Prospect avenue. The father
of the family Is Frank Jansen, aged
twenty-seven, a barber employed by
Fred Dimler. The house is owned by
Jansen's mother-in-law. Mrs. Belinda
Mcdonald, and was occupied by Mrs.
Mcdonald. her unmarried daughter,
Sadie Mcdonald, aged eighteen, and
the Jansen family, father, mother and
seven-year-old daughter Florence.
Monday night Jansen attended a
masquerade ball and, according to his
own admissions, took some drink. He
returned home at o'clock yesterday
morning and was met on his entrance
to the house by his wife, who came
down to let him in. She scolded him
for staying out so late, and the scold-
ing brought her mother, Mrs. McDon-
aid, downstairs. While these three
We're on the ground floor the lamp was
thrown. II exploded and set fire
to the house. The flames ignited
Mrs. Jansen's clothing, and while her
husband was engaged in saving his
wife by wrapping her in an ulster and
| carrying her outside, they. spread
through the hallway and filled the
stairway leading to the second floor.
DASHED THROUGH FLAMES.
Jansen's sister-in-law. Miss Nc
Donald. rushed down the stairs
in her night-clothes and dashed
| through the flames. Jansen met
her in the hallway, extinguished
the fire that had attacked her
| garments and carried her outside.
When he started to return to rescue
his child the flames had gained such
headway that he was prevented, and
before a ladder could be secured to
| effect a rescue through the second
story windows the child was suffo-
| Gated. The body was taken out by a
| fireman later.
The Investigations of the police led
| to the arrest of Jansen, and he was in
carcerated in the city hall station
| house. Mrs. Jansen was removed to
| the Lackawanna hospital. Miss Nc
Donald was cared for at a neighbor's
home, and the body Of the infant was
removed to the house Of relative.
A report to the effect that Jansen
| threw the lamp at his wife in fit of
| anger, led to his arrest. This report,
however, Is not substantiated by very
convincing proof.
| Mrs. Mcdonald. Jansen's motner-in-
law, is the accuser. She told her story
yesterday afternoon at q hearing be-
fore Mayor Moir in police court.
She said she heard Jansen coming in
and later heard Mrs. Jansen scolding
him. This moved her to descend to
the first floor and take seat at the
table in the dining room, opposite to
| where Jansen was sitting. Mrs. jan
sen, she says, remarked something
about not having to put up with her
husbands i'll treatment and leaving
the room started upstairs. by way of
the box stairs leading from the hall
way at point just opposite the door
of the room in which the husband
was.
THREW THE LAMP.
Mrs. Jansen was on the second step,
so Mrs. Mcdonald alleges, when jan
sen grabbed the chimney from the
| kerosene lamp, which was lit and
resting on the table, and hurled it at
his wife. The next moment he picked
up the lamp ana threw it forcefully
in the same direction in which he had
sent the globe. The lamp struck the
door sill, exploded, and the burning
oil scattered in all directions.
| Mrs. Mcdonald admitted that JAM
sen rushed 10 his wife's side and eS-
tinguished the flames that had at.
tackled her clothing and that he also
helped Sadie Mcdonald out, though his
hands we're badly burned.
The mayor permitted Jansen to tel
his story of the AFFAIR, and he did SC
in convincing, straightforward man
ner. lie admitted that Ne had beer
drinking the night before, but main.
tanned that he was perfectly sobel
when he returned home. He did no
think he took five glasses OF beer, al
told at the ball.
When he reached home, he founC
some difficulty in getting in. as tn,
chair which had been placed agains
the unlocked door had caught ia III,
linoleum and he had to use somt
force to shove 1t in. He believes hi
wife helped open the door, as sh
was retreating to the dining room ou
of the hallway when he entered.
, She began TO scold him, he says, TO
staying out so late, but he made n
answer Instead. he filled his pipe an,
proceeded to have a smoke, sittinj
alongside the dining table, which wa
in the center of the room. His wifi
/, was seated on the lounge. His mott
, er-in-law, he positively declares, W .
, not in the room at the time the lam
was thrown unless she was hidde
behind or under the table. AS I
when she came down stairs, he wa
not prepared TO say. as he did no
see her come down, but he swore h
did not see her about the lower foo
until he was assisting his wife afte
her clothing took fire. .
AIMED AT WINDOW.
When he started to light his pip,
he found he had no matches, and tab
ing up a paper which was lying o
the table, he tore a strip from it an
essayed to ignite it by thrusting
down the chimney of the lamp.
/ In doing so, his elbow struck III
globe. and knocked 1t oft. 1t fell [
the table, rolled TO the floor and broI
with a crash. The lamp began
~ blaze up and splutter and fearing
n was going to explode, H. picked
, up and threw it at the window. I'll
i door leading to the hallway was ope
l. and set back against the wall. Whe
}; in the position it overlaps, by a fe