Arizona republican., 1903-08-23
An Awful Tragedy at the
 Ostrich Farm Yesterday
Mrs. Lena Wilson the Victim of an Explosion of Kerosene-She Poured
 It on Srnolderins Fire in Cook Stove

Mrs. Lena Wilson, wife of Joe Wilson Jr., was burned to death yesterday at their home on the ostrich farm nine miles west of Phoenix through the care less use of ccal oil in the kitchen.
 She had spent the morning ironing and. having, finished, the fire had been allowed to burn low. Wishing to do some baking at a quarter past eleven, she placed more wood in the stove, but it proved to be green and did not burn readily. Thinking to hasten matters she picked up gallon can containing kerosene and poured some of ii on the wood. Instantly there was q blaze, then an explosion as the flame found it's way into the can, and a second later there was another explosion caused by the first when a five gallon can of oil that stood near by caught fire.
 During these explosions Mrs. Will sons clothes caught fire, and as there was rc one near to aid her she ran shrieking from the house and across the street to an irrigating ditch, into which she plunged. IL was only short run, probably less than the length of a city block. but it was all too long, for before sine reached the water nearly all her clothes, which were saturated with oil, had burned up and almost the entire surface of the body below the neck was scorched with the flames, and in many places literally barbecued Her face was not burned, but it was circled by the Manufacturing flames which left their mark below the chin under the ears on both sides and across the top of the forehead.
 The only other person in the house at the time was a five-year-old girl, a relative Of MT. Wilson. Though she was nearby she could render no as- sistance and fortunately did not come in contact with the burning oil herself The screams of the tortured woman were heard by the neighbors to the dis tance of a mile and a half. Mrs Conger. who lives nearby, was among the first to be attracted and others came as quickly as possible.
 Mrs Wilson was taken to the house and pr. Stroud was summoned by tele- phone, responding as fast as his auto mobile could take him to the farm He dressed the wounds temporarily but all he could do was to ameliorate her suffering. It was plainly seen she could not survive, though she retained i consciousness till few moments before her death, which occurred at 3:15 i1 the afternoon. That she did not realize that her injury was fatal was evidenced by her remark that she was sorry she would be so badly scared when she re covered. Strange as it may seem, the house did not take fire. Undertakes Easterling brought the body to the cit! last evening and the funeral will bt
 held from his parlors this morning q 10 o'clock. It is expected that Rev I;agby will Officiate.
 The husband of the dead woman l.
 Joe Wilson, a young man of twenty
 two, and the son of Joe Wilson, Wht
 has lived in Phoenix for many years
 He is an employe of the ostrich farm 1 and when the accident occurred wa | engaged in feeding the birds on a dis l tant part of the farm. The young cou 1 pie had been married but a few months Mrs Wilson's former home being il | Santa Ana, Cal, where she was wei
 known as Miss Lera Van Cleve. Sh
 was a highly esteemed young woman
 and only eighteen years old.