Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-30
DEATH IN FLAMES
Chsrred Body of Woman
Found on Stove Top.
POLICE HOLD HER HUSBAND
Brutal Crime in Cincinnati-Chil.
dren Played in Adjoining Room
While Mother Burned.

CINCINNATI, Ohio January 29.-Bound
and gagged, the body of Mrs. Alice Van
Zandt, burned to crisp, was found this
morning lying on top OF the gas stove in
her kitchen. The woman had met her
death while her three young children
were playing, unconscious OF the tragedy,
in the adjoining room.
Jesse A. Van Zandt, the murdered
woman's husband, is being held as a
witness by the police. The man admits
that he quarreled with his wife all Fri
day night, and up to the time he left the
house this morning, an hour, he claims.
before the discovery OF the murder.
According to the coroner, Mrs. Van
Zandt was first choked into unconscious
ness. then bound and gagged with strips
torn from a lace curtain and placed
across the stove, with her head in the
flames of the burner. The horror of the
crime is increased by the coroner's state
ment that the woman must have re-
covered consciousness before DEATH
When found all the clothes had been
burned off the body, and the flesh
|cnarred to cinders.
Another Woman in Case.
The police discovered late today that
Van Zandt had been paying marked at
tentions to young girl for some time
The father of this girl had protested
strongly against his daughter con-
duct and had finally brought her before
a police ma gIstrate, who ordered her
committed to the house of refuge. On
her fathers recommendations however,
she vas sent, instead to a convent
The Van Zandts came here from the
east One nelghbor to whom Mrs. Van
Landt had confided her troubles said
today that Mrs. Van Zandt was prepar-
ing to leave her husband.
Husband Refuses to Talk.
Jesse Van Zandt, the woman's hus-
band, refused to talk after making one
orief statement. The crime was dis
covered when a neighbor smelled smoke
and summoned the fire department. The
body was burned almost 10 a crisp.
only remnants of the clothing sticking
to it.
The police claim that the clothing had
been saturated with kerosene. A poo.
of this was found in two empty
fruit jars which had contained coal oil
and in an oil-stained flatiron.
Because no cutlery was heard the po-
lice believe that the woman was taken
unawares and choked into unconscious
ness with the curtain.
Mrs. Van Zandt's head was lying in The
flame of the gas burner in sucn a position
Ildl the leaSL struggle OH ltf part must
have moved her face away from the blaze.
Her hair had burned off, portion OF IL
being found on the floor.
Agent for Express Company.
Mrs Clara Garner, the neigllbor who
gave the alarm, told the police that when
the smoke had subsidized sufficiently for
her to enter the kitchen she found Inc
rear door locked. The front door, she said.
was o. en-.
When Van Zandt, who had been sum
moned home by his eight-year-old son.
arrived he was asked:
when did you see your wife last?'
The question was repeated to him sew
eral times before he answered:
II saw her at 10 clock. When I left
she was going to prepare dinner. What
has happened?'
He refused to answer further questions
and was locked up. Van Zand- had steady
employment as depot agent for an express
company.