The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1912-07-12
Home Of Federal Judge Pope Scene Of
Terrible Accident-May Cause the
Death OF Chef
BADLY BURNED IN EXPLOSION
Ran Through Room With Clothing In
Flames, While Family Pursued
Him With Blankets

SANTA re-, July v-ErlncO DelgadO,
80 years OF age employed in the home
OF William II. Pope, Federal Judge,
3"' Palace Avenue, was probably ia.
tally burned at ten o'clock Sunday
morning, when can Of alcohol with
which he was filing coffee percolstor
exploded setting fire TO his clothing.
Maddened with the intense pain and
temporarily losing control of himself.
Dclgado ran screaming through the
house, thereby tanning the Flames into
a roaring conflagratiou which cooked
his head, face shoulders and chest, both
his hands and his arms
Ia attempting to cxtinguisb the flame
and save the man from being burned 10
death as he ran, Judge Pope seized
him, thereby severely burning his
hands. Miss Miller employed in the
Pope home had her clothing set on FIRE
while trying 10 aid Delgado hut the
Flames were extinguished before she
was injured Dclgadu was treated bv
Doctors Small, Murray aud Knapp ana
removed To -. Vincent : Santarium
wher" he j. lowering between life and
death. lie has u wife and child.
Delgldc Sunday morning. was pre-
pairing breakfast for Judge aud Mr..
Pope and the Misses Hull, who are
guests at the Pope home Judge Pope
and Mrs. Pope had gone to the garage
near the house when they heard fran.
tie screams. They entered the resi-.
dence TO find Delgado madly dashing
from room TO room, his clothing mass
of Flames. Judge Pope, Mrs. Pope, the
Misses Hull and the Miller girl pur-
sued him. They seized Navajo blan.
kcts from the floor for the purpose Of
Smothering the Flames hut So frantic
had Dclgado become that they could
not aid him. He ran into the bath
room evidently with the intention of
pouring water upon himself which
would only have aided the flames. la
| thcr" Judge Pope seized aud held him
while the others covered him with the
blankets and finally succeeded in smoth.
erlng the fire. The unfortunate man
was Il terrihl" sight Fully one third
Of his body was cooked in "A horrible
manner, portions Of the flesh adhering
to the charred clothing. Moaning and
groanlng IN his agony, hc was assisted
to bed and the physicians summoned.
They gave him emergency treatment
and he was then placed in an automobile
aud hurriedly taken to the sanitarium
AS nearly as could hc learned, Del.
gado has lighted the percolator to pre-.
pare coffee He discovered that the
alcohol had given out in the lamp and
started to refill it from large can Of
alcohol without first cXtnguishing the
| Flames. There was sudden flash aud
| the burning spirits were thrown all
over the room, setting fire to the house
and dclugng the man in a wave II
Flames
His screams were heard by the neigh.
bors, several of whom came to the res.
cue The house, fortunately was not
damaged greatly, the fire being quickly
put out.
The terrible accident completely un.
ncrvcd the Pope household Judge
Pope and the Misses Hull did every.
thing in their power to relieve the suf.
ferings of the injured man and will
spare no expense To save his life. In
discussing the ease, DR., Small said
Fully one third Of Delgado's body
is terribly burned He is suffering in.
tensely and his condition is quite Sc
rious, Whether or not he will revover
is as yet, purely a matter Of conjecture
Three physicians were summoned and
everything that medical science could
do, was promptly done.