Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-07-31

thrown into a panic Sunday nigl
about $50 o'cock by the screams fl
Help" "Save Me" when Mack
Harper, we'll known young man {
this city, rushed into the street
afre and in just few seconds wa
so badly burned that death foIlowe
in about twelve hours. ..
Harper rushed from the poolroor
of Roy T. Duff with his clothing afr
and began his cry for help and imme
diately number of passersby wer
rushing to his assistance. He is SAT-
to have fallen directly in front of tn
building from which he came and en-
deavored seemingly to extinguish tn,
flames by rolling over, but from feal
arose and ran towards the corner o.
Ocoee and Thirty-first streets. Mr.
Hickman and Mr.. Harold, guests Of
the Artz Hotel, were seated in front
of the hotel and reached him just be-
fore he reached the corner and at
tempted to tear away his clothing,
and did so to some extent, but the
alcohol hadmso thoroughly saturated
his clothing that the fire was beyond
control. Both of these gentlemen
were slightly burned about their
hands in their attempts. Harper
rushed around the corner still crying
.*Pnt me OUT and fell in front Of the
store of G. j. Wilson and when as
sisted to his feet all that remained Of
his clothing was his shoes.
A blanket was thrown around him
and he walked to the Office of DR.. W.
H. Shultz and awaited the arrival of
medical aid. While there his suffer
ing was untold agony and he was lat
er removed to the Office of DR.. T. E,
P. Chambers and made this trip him
self BY this time Drs. Chambers
and Sullivan had reached him and ap-
plications of soothing oil We're ap-
piled to his entire body, but little re-
lief was ever noticed from the appli-
cations, as DR.. Chambers stated that
almost pine-tenths 0 fcutiele was de-
stroyed, so severe were the burns
from the alcohol. He was removed
to his home on Worth street about
midnight and was taken to Erlanger
hospital, Chattanooga, on the early !
morning train, where he seemed to
rally for while but death occurred
about 8 o'clock Monday morning.
AT no time was he unconscious and
recognized all those that assisted in
dressing his burns ard these thai
carried Il m to Chattanooga.
From the information that can be
as to the explosion it
appears that late Sunday afternoon a
five gallon can of alcohol was taken
from the Steed drug store nd was rel
moved to the Duff poolroom. At the
time of the accident Harper was with
Ed Austin,,, his brother-in-law, aad
Pearl Dunahoo in the rear Of the
poolroom and a drink was being
poured into glass and some of it
was spilled on Harper's cloth ne and
on the floor. To see what they were
doing Harper is said to have sttueh
a match and Immediately the cyplo-
sion followed Harper is said BY thc
two present to have removed or had
removed the can from the drug store .
and to have later conveyed il into
The poolrocm. Mrs. Sam Bean. who
resides in the fat above states that
Harper did not bring the can into.
The poolroom, but that it was taken
here by two others. She also says
hat two men besides Harper were
seen to leave the building when the
explosion occurred. Austin was ,
iound in the poolroom in "a drunken
'tupor and did not seem to realize ;
What, had happened only . few min