Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-11
REscUERs ENTER RESIDENCE OF
MRS. MINERVA WAKEFIELD ON
CLAY STREET TOO LATE TO
SAVE HER LIFE.
HEROIC STRUGGLE
TOBEATOUT FLAMES
WOMAN HAD WRAPPED SELF IN
BED CLOTHES WHEN HER
CLOTHING CAUGHT FIRE, BUT
uNAIpED EFFORTS FRUITLEss.

The PROSTATE body of Mrs. Minerva
oped in flames was the CHASTITY sight
that met the eyes Of Henry Wagers.
RoJ Hill and Benjamin Stall when
they broke into the burning Wakefield
residence at 109 South Clay street
about 500 o'clock this morning. The
charred remains of the woman wrap
ped in burning bedclothes were found
near the window, mute testimony OF
her last effort to get to the open air
and summon help. Life had ebbed
away before the rescuers arrived.
Cause Unknown.
No one will ever know the true
cause of Mrs. Wakefields death, as
she was the only one in the house at
the time of the fire. An open door in
the sitting-room stove bears out the
belief of those who were first on the
scene, that an explosion Of coal gases
had blown the door open and puffed
the flames out, igniting The woman's
pclothing. That she laatl SrShda i frantic
attempt at self-pres ovation was
shown by the fact that she had en-
tered the bedroom near by and had
taken the bed clothing off of the bed
and wrapped them around her burning
body in an effort to smother the
flames. She had probably attempted to
open the window, beside which the
body was found In a last frantic effort
to call assistance or to escape from
the burning home.
Boy Discovers Fire.
The fire in the Wakefield home was
discovered by Willie Ulin, lad Of
! fourteen years, who was passing the
house on his way to school. Noticing
smoke issuing from the house, and
seeing the flames eating the lace cur
tains, he rushed into the Wells gro
Gerry nearby and turned in the alarm.
Roy Phillips, Henry Wagers and Ben
jamin STALL who were in the store at
the time, hurried to the place, but
their entrance to the house was delay
ed by the fact that all of the doors
were locked Wagers. who carried q
skeleton key, opened the front door
and entered the sitting-room to find
the place ..1led with flames and smoke
and the charred remains of Mrs. Wake
| field beyond human aid.
/ An alarm had been turned into the
fire department, but when the depart
ment arrived the flames had been ex-
tinguished by the neighbors. Assistant
Chief Charles Sloane Immediately no.
titled Coroner A. w. Slaught and the
remains were turned over to the un-
/ dertaken, c. T. Sullivan.
i Alone When it Happened.
Mrs. Wakefield was alone at the
time, her daughter, Miss Sadie, Wake
field, having gone to the Hardscog fac.
tory, where she was employed. She
was notified of her mothers death and
hurried to the home. A son. Benjamin
Wakefield, is employed on the Milwau-
15ee road as fireman, and he was noti-
fed Of his mothers death and return
ed to the city today. Three other chill
dren survive the mother-W William
4 Wakefield, who has been making his
. home in Colorado, but who in his last
letter expressed his intention OF re.
turning to Mystic; Hattie Wakefield
who resides in Mystic, and Mrs. Lydia
McGraff, who lives at Layland, N. M
The deceased was 81 years of age.
The remains will be taken to Mystic
tomorrow for interment