Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1910 — MRS. W. J. REED FATALLY BURNED [ARTICLE]

MRS. W. J. REED FATALLY BURNED

Wife of Former Resident Meets Tragic Death at Knox. KNOWN TO MANY READERS Of The Democrat, As Also Is Her Husband, Who Is a Native of Jordan Tp., and Has Numerotis Relatives Residing In Jasper County—Mrs. Reed Formerly Taught School In This County. The many friends of Mrs. Wm. J. Reed of Knox will be pained to hear of her t terrible death Wednesday from endeavoring to put out the flames that enveloped her little son, whose clothing had caught fire from a gasoline stove. She was a former school teacher • of this* vicinity, a daughter of James Longwell, and was well known at Fowler, Goodland and Monon, where the Longwell family formerly resided. Her sister, Miss Disa Longwell, taught school in Jasper county recently. Fred Longwell of Brook is a cousin, and her husband, W. J. Reed, is a native of Jordan tp., this county, and is well known here and has many relatives in this county. John Reed of Virgie and Thomas Reed of Jordan tp., are brothers of Mr. Reed. Mrs. Reed’s maiden name was Ella Longwell. The Starke County Democrat has the following account of the terrible accident: One of the most horrible accidents ever to occur in this community was visited upon the home of Atty. W. i. Reed and family at 7 * o’clock this morning a when Mrs. Reed was burned almost beyond recognition and her eight-year-old son Herbert was badly burned about his hands and legs by flames which orignated from an explosion of a sjnall gasoline stove. Mr. Reed also sustained a number of bad burns on , his hands while engaged in smothering the fiendish flames which had enveloped his wife from head to foot. The explosion occurred while the son Herbert was filling the gasoline tank on the stove. The stove had been burning for several minutes before the explosion happened, buC at the mother’s request had been turned out by the boy because the’ tank was Tunning dry. At her request he-immediately commenced filling the tank and, according to his own pitiful and pathetic little story, epilled some of the dangerous fluid over onto the heated burner. The next instant he was enveloped in a mass of flames and crying aloud, rushed to his mother’s side for assistance. Before she could do much for the boy, 'however, the flames had been communicated to her own clothing which naturally prompted her to seek her own salvation. Rushing frantically from the house to the back yard she presented a living torch when' Mr. Reed appeared on the scene. He was upstairs with the other children when the accident occurred, and hearing the cries of the mother and son he arrived at the kitchen door just in time to see his wife pass out ok the back door. Seizing the bay, whose clothes were still ablaze, he plunged, him into a tub of water, standing near by and then rushed out after his wife. In pasing out through the summer kitchen he noticed that the stove was still afire and. without a moment’s, hesitation threw it out into the yard. But for this presence of v mind the house might easily have been destroyed. I Seizing his wife as best he could, » Mr. Reed with a superhuman commenced rolling her on the ground and in this way finally succeeded in suffocating the fire. Only a few small remnants of clothing still clung to her body when the loving hands of neighbors gently carried her back into' the house which only a few moments before was a haven of sunshine and happiness. A more pitiablesight can hardly be imagined. Drs. Schwier and Dawson were hurriedly called and while they did all that could possibly be done for the poor woman they realized at a glance that the most they could do was little .enough. Dr.. Olney and a trained nurse from the St. Joseph hospital in South Bend arrived here in an automobile at about ’ 10 o’dock, but they could be of no assistance. Mrs. Reed lapsed into unconsciousness at about 8:30 and from this she never rallied. She

died without a struggle at about 11:45 a. m. No arrangements for the funeral have as yet been made, but it will, in all probability, be held in this city. The unfortunate mother is survived by the husband, four little children, the youngest being an. infant of 8 months, five sisters, two brothers and a father. The sudden death of this excellent wife and mother has cast a pall of sorrow over the entire, community and friends are hurrying from every direction to do what they can for the grief-stricken family.