The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-07-10
USED GOAL OIL,
BURNS % DEATH
MRS. KATE HANoARTNER MEETS
TERRIBLE DEATH.
STARTED FIRE WITH COAL OIL
HUSBAND INSANE; ELEvEN.YEAR.
OLD SON AN ORPHAN.
STARTED FIRE WITH COAL OIL
Starting Fire With Kerosene, the
Explosion Which Followed Covered
Unfortunate Woman With Flaming
Oil-Ran From House.

Oil-Ran From House.
A coal oil explosion brought a ter.
ribe death to Mrs. Kate Hangartner
Monday night when sne burned to
death at her home on South Thirteenth
street. Literally roasted alive, every
portion of the woman's body, save the
soles of her feet, was burned. The
woman started fire with kerosene.
The explosion occurred at GAS in
the evening. Mrs. Hangartner lived
nearly seven hours, breathing her last
at about 1870 a. m.
Husband Insane.
"A little son and an insane husband
are left by Mrs. Hangartner. The
husband has been In the Norfolk hos.
pital since March IL, 1907. His case
is thought to be incurable. 1t was to
be near her husband that led the
wife to move from Enola to Norfolk
this spring.
Son Is Eleven.
Little Fritz Hangartner his father
taken from him by insanity, his mother
removed by tragic death, is a brave
little fellow, eleven years old. In a
child's way he was grief stricken by
his mothers death.
The little boy was not at home
when the accident occurred. He had
been sent to a neighbours on an errand
The mother went to the kitchen Of
her little home to prepare supper. No
one saw the explosion.
Ran Shrieking From House.
Shrieking in the mad agony of a
dying woman, her body a mass of
flames which literally hid her from
sight, Mrs. Hangartner rushed from
the fame-filled kitchen across the yard
towards her nearest neighbor, j. H.
Conley. Instinctively. she ran and
with each step the fire in her kerosene
soaked clothing burned more terribly.
Covered With Wet Carpet.
Almost at the moment she reached
the corner of the fence Mr.. Conley
rushed up from the opposite side, car
he had jerked from a clothes line.
Throwing a piece of carpet over her
head Mr. Conley shouted for the wom-
an to lie down. She could not hear
him and he was forced to push her
to the ground. BY the time Mr.. Con-
ley had mounted the fence his wife
had arrived with blankets.
William Satterlee, neighbor, was
now on the scene. The burning wo-
man was further wrapped in blankets
and the fire smothered.
Physicians were summoned by tele-
phone and DR.. p. H. Salter, DR.. Frank
Salter and DR.. w. H. Pilger were soon
at the home. Mrs. Hangartner was
lifted as tenderly as possible and car
ried into the house.
1t took only hurried examination
to disclose that the wounds were fatal.
Entire Body Burned.
Every particle of skin on the I'M
fortunate woman's body was burned
save the soles of her feet. Apparent
~ she had not seriously inhaled the
flames for she was still conscious.
The dying woman asked that Father
Walsh be called. When the little
eleven-year-old son, the only child,
came painting home from a neighbours
she called him to her side.
Said Goodbye to Son.
"Mama's going to die" she said.
BE a good boy. Always think of
papa. | am going to leave you,
'Titzie." And more she said in the
he same strain to the sobbing little
.ellow, upon whom a cruel tragedy
If life was fast descending.
Mrs. Hangartner lapsed into a stu
'or after a hypodermic injection had
'een given by the physicians to re.
ieve the pain she suffered
No one but the woman was in the
house at the time the terrible accident
1t was about GAS D. m.
She picked up a large sized can of
'oal oil preparatory to starting the
supper fire in an ordinary range stove
n the kitchen in the west end of the
house. The can was nearly full
What followed is an old story, sad
Ter with each repetition.
House on Fire.
The explosion wrenched a large
lole in the can. The burning oil was
brown over every portion of the small
iitchen. Her clothes oil soaked, Mrs.
iangartner was in an instant a mass
If flames.
Governed only by wild instinct,
he rushed from the flames of the
louse into the out door air. No one
leard the explosion but the entire
leighborhood was startled by the
cries. All rushed to the
louse.
While Mrs, Hangartner's flesh was
lot burned deeply, the flames had GOV.
red every portion of her body. When
he charred remnants of her clothing
we're removed the skin came with the
'urned cloth.
Came Here In March.