The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-11-19
NO.. Is.
AN AWFUL TRAGEDY.
Th~' Patients Burned to Death in a
Charleston Hospital.
ORIGIN OF FIRE a MYSTERY.

VIGIL i0sIou hospital.
= ORIGIN OF FIRE A MYSTERY.
Heroic Work Of Mrs. Black, WHO
Helped to Rescue Tena Brown
Bodies Burned Beyond
| Recognition.
Three colored inmates of the Char
lesion City Hospital were burnt to
death in the insane ward on Wednes-
day morning. The investigation made
by the coroner failed to throw any
light on the origin of the blaze, which
will perhaps never be definitely known.
The fire started in Gaines compart-
ments and it is supposed that in some
way he procured match and applied
it to his bed clothing. At the inqui-
Sition Coroner O'Donnell heard the
testimony of several witnesses and a
verdict was rendered by the jury in
accordance with the evidence adduced
that the victims came to their death
from accidental burning.
Night Watchman Own testified that
it was his duty to make round Of the
hospital buildings and grounds every
hour and that about half an hour be-
fore the discovery Of the FIRE in the in
sane pavilion he found everything as
it should be. He said he went through
the house and detected no sign Of
smoke or flames. Other witnesses gave
the details Of the horrible tragedy, a
full account Of which was published
in the News and Courier Wednesday
morning.
Mrs. E. J. Black, a nurse at the
City Hospital, displayed rare presence
of mind and courage in rescuing Tena
Clark, the insane negro woman, from
the burning building. The brave lit
tie woman was awakened bv the ago.
nized screams and cries Of the luckless
maniacs and without stopping to dress
herself, she rushed from her bed room
and out through the court yard to the
insane ward. The key to the front
entrance, which hangs on the Wi: Ia
the main corridor of the hospital, had
somehow fallen TO the floor and in the
excitement it could not be found
Night Watchman OWN and a colorei
orderly, William Fraser, burst open
the doors barring entrance to the ne
gro woman's cell and Mrs. Black
dragged the insensible form Of the ne
gro woman to safety, painfully burn
ing her own hands and feet. The
nurses heroic act was generally COM
mented on at the hospital Wednesday.
She told her story to Coroner O'Don-
nell modestly, but the facts Of the
thrilling rescue were brought out by
OWN and Fraser, who were eye-Wit-
nesses to the young woman's noble
act.
1.-THE unfortunate beings were hu-
man beings" said Mrs. Black, and
when 1 heard the pitiful cries Of dis
tress I had no other thought but to
make an effort to save them" The
watchman and the orderly made the
rescue Of the insane patient possible
by beating down the doors.
Shortly after the flames were extin-
guiShed by the fire department. Coro-
ner O'Donnell had the remains Of the
three victims removed from the wreck
and debris Of the building. James
Caine, the lunatic, who is thought to
have applied the match that did the
work, was very nearly incinerated.
The body was burned beyond all pos
sible recognition. While Holmes and
Scott were scarcely as badly disfg-
ured, the corpses of these two unfor-
tunates presented horrible specta-
Gle. The bodies were placed in a row
on the floor in one Of the apartments
at the Morgue, where they were sub
sequently viewed by the jury prepara-
tory to holding the inquest.
The signs Of the shocking manner
in which the maniacS came to their
death were revealed in measure by
even what portion of their charred re-
mains were left behind to tell the tale
Of the horror. Their arms, or rather
the blackened, half burnt stubs, stood
straight up from the body and their
tongues protruded far from the ghast-
ly hole in their faces. The horrible
tortures they underwent before death
finally came to their relief could never
be adequately pictured by mere words,
but the attitude and the agcnized ex-
preston on the chsrred faces left the
dreadful details to the imagination.
The hospital authorities regret the
unfortunate tragedy, but it was one
of those accidents that sometimes oc-
cur in spite Of the most rigid precau-
tionary measures. Madmen, as a gen.
eral thing, are extremely cunning and
it is very difficulty to maintain a
watch over them so strict as to pre-
clude the possibility Of accidents.