Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-12-02
WOMAN DIED
THURSDAY
Burns and Exposure Caused
Katherine Denton's Death
At Hospital.
MYSTERY LEFT UNSOLVED
Body Will Be Held Awhile
Before Being Buried By
The County.

Katherine Denton, the strange wo-
man who was fatally burned in the
destruction of Zion colored school
house on the Princeton road Tuesday
night, and who was taken to the
Jennie Stuart Hospital Wednesday
morning, died at O'Clock Thursday
morning.
AS announced by DR.. F. M. Sites,
who attended her, the burns she re-
ceived were almost necessarily fatal,
but she would not have died SO soon
but for the shock and exposure. She
walked naked five miles on a cold
night, over new pike with bare feet,
her body covered with burns, in a
strange country and in the darkness
OF a lonely country road. Horrors
Crowded thick upon her and her con-
dition was indeed pitiable.
She died without being able to give
any definite information about her.
SELF In the delirium of her last hours
she muttered what seemed to be the
words Mother, " Louis" or 'Lu-
cien." Her sutferingS were intense
until death ended them. The body
was turned over to the Waller &,
Trice Co. and il will be held a day or
two in an effort to locate the woInan's
friends.
1t turned out that she first reached
the city Monday night and Lieut..
Hawkins took her TO Hotel Main,
where she registered as X. d. Den
ton, Evansville, Ind. She said she
was unmarried. She cotton the early
train Tuesday morning for Princeton,
leaving here at $40 a. m. She must
have returned Tuesday morning, as
she went to the Hill House at p. M,
but did not eat dinner or register.
She was given room, saying she
would leave on an afternoon train. In
little while she left and as hereto
fore narrated walked seven miles into
] the country on the Princeton road
and when night came on took refuge
in the colored school house. During
the night the house burned down and
she escaped with her clothes on fire.
She tore off the clothing and started
on the long walk back to town nude
and suffering from fatal burns. She
was found and taken in charge after
daylight two miles from town.
She was of medium size, dark hail
and eyes and wore small dark ha
and long coat of peculiar shade O
red. She was about 35 years old anC
WORE glasses and seemed to be intel
ligent. She made an attractive ap
pearance.
She left IS with Mr.. Freedman a
the Hill House, which he still has de
posted in his safe. She took her sui
case with her. All of her effects were
burned up. Some people have beer
found who offered to let her ride
but she refused all offers. She asked
to be shown the Princeton road wher
she reached the forks of the Prince
ton and Cadiz roads. II is not known
that she met any one whom she knew
She told conflicting stories of the way
she was burned. She did not make
il clear that she was in the schoo
house, but there is no doubt that she
received the burns there. The schoo
house had no fire in it, but she mus
have started one.
The worst burn was on her LEFT
shoulder. Other bad ones were un'
der her arms, on her neck and face
and in the palms of her hands. Less
serious burns were on her legs down
almost to her ankles. The soles OF
her feet were terribly cut and bruised
from walking on the pike. Nothing
that would have thrown any light on
her identity has been found. All OF
the unfortunate. woman's effects were
destroyed ami She told nothing that
would establish her identity. Unless
the body is called for soon. il will be