The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-27
THREE DEAD IN
XMAS TRAGEDY
Cigarette Thrown Into Powder Causes
Disastrous Fire at Dance-Eight
Others Injured.

GREENSBURG. Pa, Dec. 20
Three persons are dead, eight are In
danger of death from their injuries
and 10 more are In the Westmore-
land hospital with painful burns, AZ
penalty either for somebody's care
lessness or somebody's vengeance,
while miners were holding a Christ
mas celebration at Keystone Shaft,
near here. late Saturday night.
The accident occurred at the home
of Michael Wilding. while he was en-.
PERTAINING a party of about % men
and women. some OF whom had come
from Youngstown, o., to seek work
in the mines here. IL is believed that
! one of the men in the party, while a
dance was in progress, threw a
cigarette butt carelessly under the
stairway of the house. Twenty five
pounds OF black mining powder was
stored there in an open can. Rumors
were current that striking miners
had thrown bomb under the stair
wa. but there was no confirmation of
the report.
Flames from the powder shot
through the room and the acid smoke
blinded the dancers as they broke
away for the escape. The three who
were fatally burned and died soon af
ter removal to the hospital are:
Josephine Fagetta, aged "a, mar
ried. of Youngstown.
Michael Wildng, aged %. the host,
OF Keystone Shaft.
Jack Hemlinger, aged 80, single. of
Keystone Shaft
Among those seriously burned are
Elizabeth Ross. Adam Miller, Tony
Wilding, Michael Fagetta, Nicholas
Ferri, Eva TERRA, George Schultz and
Joseph Kali.
The clothing OF nearly all the
dancers took fire from the explosion,
and although the room was burned
and blackened the house was not
seriously damaged. Men in adjoin-
ing houses rushed In with blankets
and wrapped them about the burning
women, saving many from death.
Supt H. +. Bovard, of the mine, ar
ranged for a special train, which
brought the injured TO this city.
CHICAGO, Dec. 26.-Because he was
too poor to buy Christmas turkey for
his widowed mother, two sisters and a
little brother, Richard Robinson. Is, Is
In a cell here today charged with hav.
ing looted iceboxes of several resi-
dents TO supply the deficiency. Robin
son, when captured by Daniel Hanley
in the very act of absconding with the
Hanley turkey, had two big baskets on
his arm. To the police when question
ed. Robinson is said to have stated
that in three iceboxes visited before
he arrived Hanley's he had found
nothing. He will be arraigned tomor-
row.
SHANGHAI, China, Dec. 26.-Throe
million people are slowly starving
from famine in the northern parts of
Kiang-Su and An-Hui provinces. ac-
cording TO latest advices. Foreign
missionaries are exerting every effort
to relieve the misery of the poor but
the fight so far has been a losing one.
The combined population OF the two
provinces Is 1860, 495.
The international board of foreign
missionaries in Shanghai today made
an appeal for 81 100000 to aid the
stricken people. This appeal has been
cabled to New York for publication In
The Christian Herald and other
church papers. The Red Cross society
also will raise funds.
CT -CAGO, Dec. 26.-Christmas and
a railroad train caused a curious holt
day accident here by which Mrs. Eda
May Simpson Is dead ut her home to-
day. On the combination gas and
electric chandelier in her room a
wreath of holly was hung. Vibration
by passing trains Of the Illinois Cen
trail road loosened the wreath and in
falling it's weight turned on the gas
Mrs. Simpson was dead when found
In the room there was also the body
OF an angora cat which had suffocated
in a last struggle TO scratch its way
through the door.
SAGINAW, Mich, Dec 26.-John
Eschenbach, %, attempted TO play
Santa Claus at the annual Christmas
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