Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-18
WOMAN Is BURNED TO DEATH
Mrs. Mary Davis Of Des MOiass oooksd in
der Own Kitchen.
OIL ExPLoDEs AND WRAPS HER IN FLAMES
Discover Accident Too Late
to m Any Aid, but Succeed
In Recovering Body from
Blazing House.
(From a STAR correspondents

- SN1aA
DIES MONIES, April 17.-(Speclal)-Mrs.
Mary Davis was burned to death in her
kitchen at 2 O'Clock this afternoon. She
was engaged in washing and an explosion
Of oil enveloped her in flames, so that she
was burned to death very quickly. No
one was present at the time, and whether
she placed the oil in the hre and an ex-
plosion followed, or whether there was a
mistake and she was given gasoline for
kerosene, is not known. A %neighbor, Mrs.
James Shenk, saw smoke issuing from the
windows and ran out into the street to
call assistance. John Fletcher, who was
just across the street, ran over and he
and Mrs .Shenk broke in the kitchen door.
The room was filled with smoke and only
by feeling his way about did he ind the
body Of Mrs. Davis. lying on the kitchen
floor already ~lifeless. He dragged the
body out and Mrs. Shenk threw a blanket
over her to put out the flames. but II was
useless. The head and face and upper
part of the body OF Mrs. Davis were badly
burned and she had evidently died in
agony, but very quickly, partly from burns
and partly from suffocation. Mrs. Davis
was the widow of Lincoln Davis, a miner
who was killed in a Sayloryille coal mine
a year ago. She leaves three small chill
dren. Her mother lives in Boone. The
coroner was called and proceeded to make
investigation to determine whether some
one else had made a mistake in the de-
livery of oil to her.
Magazine Rides Received.
Adjutant General Byers this morning
received the 800 new Krag-Jorgensen
rifles, shipped TO the state from the Rock
leland arsenal, to he distributed TO mem
bers of the Fffty-fourth regiment, Iowa
National Guard. These are the first rifles
that have been distributed under the new
Dick bill and the distribution is madc
ahead of the inspections by the army on
GERS because Of tho desire to have the
guns when the regiment goes to st. Louis
to appear in the parade on the visit Of the
president there. The routes and trains
for the regiment have all been arranged
and these arms will be sent out to the
twelve companies next week. The old
arms will be retained until after the guard
inspection some time next month.
An effort is being made by Marshalltown
to secure the vacancy in the Fifty-hrst
regiment due to the dropping out of Bed
ford. The Marshalltown company was
mustered out some time ago because the
people would not assist In the erection of
an armory. They now propose building an
/ ~ AhOAg oAiO otNaAih6 a nv" SOhAPnhs"
Perry's Body Taken Away.
The body OF Arthur Perry, the suicide
and would-be murderer. was taken to Mo-
ravia, Ia, today. A man named J. J.
Hicks came from Moravia and took pos
session OF the body. It had been remem-
bered that a short time ago Perry told his
employer to send for Hicks in case any
thing happened to him. but did not say
- MT. IH--a DN-- IA Ea -
had relatives at Moravia. A telegram sent
to Hicks at Moravia elected a quick re-
spouse. But Mr.. Hicks would not give any
information as to the Identity of Perry
and it is now generally believed his name
was Hicks and not Perry, and for some
reason had changed his name. 1t now
transpires that Perry had refused to re-
veal to any Of his friends the identity of
his parents or where they lived, and had
always refused to talk about his past. Mrs.
Bruce, who was shot by Perry, is recov-
ering.
Negroes and the President.
The negroes of Des Moines, Of whom there
are several thousand, purpose giving a
great reception to President Roosevelt on
the occasion of his visit to the city. This
morning a committee set out to have the
entire colored population Of the city massed
along some special section of the six-mile
route the president is TO trnvel in Des
Moines. The negroes are enthusiastic over
Roosevelt and desire to make a demon
s~tration here that will convey to him SON
idea Of their appreciation Of his conduct
toward the negroes OF the south.
WheIan Gets an Appointment.
Joseph E. whelan Of Red Oak, formerly
bank inspector for Iowa, has been ap-
pointed an immigration inspector under
Secretary Shaw at Washington, and will
soon leave for the east. Mr.. Whelan was
last year a candidate for the republican
nomination for clerk OF the supreme court.
He has been living in Des Moines some
time,
Grant Club
The program for the annual banquet of
the Grant club on April "a is completed
with the exception Of the subject to be
chosen by President Edward G. Pratt. The
principal address Of the evening will be
by the Hon. Clark Howell of Atlanta. whose
subject will be Grants Life as a Peace
Lesson" The program is as follows: In
troductory address, President Edward G..
Pratt, Milwaukee,; address. Grants Life
as a P~eacemaker," Hon. Clark Howell,
Atlanta; address, Grant, His Last Trl-
umph," Senator Charles F. Reavis, Falls
City, Neb. address, subject not yet an
%nounced, Charles e. Pickett, Waterloo.