The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-11
While at Home Alone Her Clothes
Caught Fire and She Was Dead
Before Aid Could Reach Her.
MOTHER FRANTIC WITH GRIEF
SHE WAS ACROSS THE STREET
WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
Girl May Have Used Coal Oil to start
Fire-Had Been Told 10
Wash Dishes.

Minnie FRANKIE, eleven years of age wa3
burned TO death yesterday afternoon about
o'clock at her home, S31 Nebraska street.
When found she was dead, and the manner
in which the fire started or the incidents
connected with ii will never be known. The
street. which is one on which many laborers
reside. was the scene of great excitement
last night, and until late hour crowds of
men, women and children surrounded the
house where the girl met her death.
Minnie returned from school with Mrs.
Ferdinand Kloetzke's daughter both going
to their respective homes Mrs FRANKIE
was at the Kloetzke home. across the
street. assisting in housecle aning When
she heard that her daughter had returned
she sent word by Mrs Kloetzke's daugh-
ter that she had better wash the dinner
dishes before the return of her father
After delivering the message the little
Kloetzke girl went to her own home. Soon
after Annie FRANKIE. thirteen years of age
returned from school and went to the
Kloetzke home, and, after telling her
mother she going to some place on
Raymond street, vert TO her own home.
A VOLUME OF FLAME.
The house is a small one composed of bu.
went to the rear door of the summer
kitchen and was met by volume Of name
which prevented her from going into he
house. She heard the screams OF hes sister
Minnie inside, and rushed to the front ,iccr.
there to be met by flames. Th-r -he ran
across the street. all the time screaming as
loudly as she could. and told ner mother
that Minnie was being burned mp Mrs.
hol
her arms. At once utterlng a frightiul
scream she literally threw the babe across
the room into Mrs. Klcetzke's arms and
rushed frantcally across the street She
opened the front door and saw the flames
and then went to the side door. She re-
turned to the front door and entered the
burning room She went through the
house, screaming all the time, looking for
her daughter, out the rear door and back
into the house again, without being able TO
find the girl whose faint cries could only
then be heard. Going out the side door
again she went TO the front door, and there
met two men, one of them a huckster
whose name no one knew. who asked.
whats the matter? Is there some one in
there?" "Minnie's in there screamed Mrs.
FRANKIE, and the two men entered the
house. They found the girl lying on the
floor, her clothes nearly burned off. and
those which were not, mass of flames.
Together they picked the girl up, ana,
half carrying, half dragging her, got her
into the summer kitchen, where, because
OF their own burnt hands, they were obliged
TO release their hold and let her down on
10 the floor.
THE LIFELESS BODY.
The men, were followed by Mrs. FRANKIE
and Mrs. Kloetzke, who by that time had
come from across the street, and the two
women, Mrs. FRANKIE at the girls head and
Mrs kloetzke at her feet, picked the then
,ifelcss body up and carried il into the back
yard Some of her clothing yet DlaZ-
ing, and both women tried to put out the
fire by beating it with their aprons, but.
being unable TO do so, got bucket FLIED
with water which was dashed over the
body. This put out the fire. Then, amid
great excitement, increased by the arrival
of the fire department., the dead body was
carried by several men TO the home or
Mrs kloetzhe. A physician was called, but
the girl had been dead for some time. Her
body was terribly charred from head TO
foot and her head was void of hair.
The fire in the house did but little dam
age. the water used by the department
causing the most loss. All Of the rooms
of the house showed evidences of things
disturbed, evidently by the unfoi -unate
girl in her frantic efforts to put out the fire
t. show in what manner the fire started.
but il was believed she had used coal oil
with which to start the fire TO comply with
her mothers request to wash the dishes.
The fire in the stove had been allowed 10
| die out at noon.