The Washington herald., 1909-08-23
"OLE AUNT" BETTY
DIES FROM BURNS
Negro Woman Ninety-eight
Years Old Passes Away.
FIRES BED IN LIGHTING PIPE
Aged Woman who was Venerated
by Clicks Alley and Who "Itead"
Bible with the FanRtical Ardor of
Ante-BeIIum Days, Meets Death
I'm Shocking Manner.

"Ole Aunt Betty Matthews. ninety
eight years old. and probably the oldest
negro woman in Washington, died yester-
day afternoon at Freedmen's Hospital
from burns
The aged woman accidentally set fire to
a mattress while lying IN bed at her
home at 1883 Clicks alley, trying 10 light
a pipe. The bed clothing blazed up, and
before help could reach her. cole Aunt"
Betty had been fatally burned
The woman had been III for several
months suffering from senility and re-
NAMED in bed most OF the time. She
was devout Christian, with ardor
characteristic Of the ante-bellum negroes.
When the church bells began TO peal out
yesterday morning, the old woman called
TO her granddaughter. Annie Matthews
and asked for her Bible
Although blind for thirty years. tho
old woman read her Bible every day.
She could not see, but held the Bible be-
fore her and turned the pages, one by
one. reading 10 herself. as she called IT,
She could quote long passages from the
Bible, and VIXEN there was visitor or a
friend in the room she would recite a
verse as though she were reading.
"Readv Bible All Morning.
The sacred Book. soned and worn with
use. and nearly as old as its owner. was
given to Aunt Betty. Her breakfast was
brought. but she ate little. She read"
all morning, scanning the fine print Ia
boriously. patiently spelling out difficult
words.
an one hand she held an old clay pipe
which has seen service for years and
years, and every few seconds the old
woman would place rhe stem in her
mouth and puff contentedly. II was q
few minutes after y o'clock when ne
groes on the first floor heard a feeble
scream. Running upstairs. they found
"Ole Aunt Betty in bed of fire. vainly
trying TO climb to safety, Flames COW
cred her and ate away the fiimsy night
gown she wore.
Save me. chilluni Save 70 ole auntyT'
she cried plteously, beating her face with
her hands in frantic pain. The burning
quilts and covering were pulled from
the bed Water was thrown over the
suffering woman The smoldering bed
was saturated. Some one ran TO fire
alarm box 2l3. and I'm a few minutes the
alley was filled with engines. hose car
riages, and trucks. while stalwart fire.
men ran up the steps to the smoke-hlled
room
Police reserves from the Eighth pre-
cInct arrived They saw "Ole Aunt
Betty was dangerously burned, and
placed her In the patrol wagon. The
horse gaIoped to Freedmen's Hospital
where physicians did everything 10 pro-
long the life Of the woman.
'Taint no use, sonny; talnt no use
Ole aunty done gone dis time" she said
10 a physician. closing her eyes and sink
Ing into uncOnsciOusness. She never
Cwoke Death claimed her about O'Clock
In the afternoon.
Was an Ex-sIave.
The body was removed 10 the morgue
It is probable a certificate Of accidental
death VIII be issued
"Ole Aunt" Betty was the best-known
character in Clicks alley. She was an
sx-sIave. and told many stories OF the
days IN the South before the civil war
She was regarded with veneration by ne
groes IN the alley where she lived.
The whim Of "Ole Aunt" Betty was
granted by her relatives and she was
given the Bible every morning. often
laboriously turning Its pages throughout
the day.