Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1874 — A Mournful Kerosene Tragedy. [ARTICLE]

A Mournful Kerosene Tragedy.

Yesterday afternoon a gay party of friends assembled at a residence in the West End to assist at a wedding feast given by a newly-married couple; but be fore the sun went down the gayety of that party had fled. The youngest, the most beautiful, the hostess, the bride, was writhing jin the agonies of death. The husband, too, was little better than dead, laboring as he was in the agonies of bodily and mental pain, while other relatives and friends bore the marks of friendship In painful wounds. Last Tuesday a young man of twentyseven, natped John Yandenburg, one of Rickoff, the tailor’s, chief workmen, was married to Anna Schwegman, a young girl not quite seventeen years old. This girl was a niece of Mr. Rickoff. After the wedding the couple moved to a suit of rooms in the rear of No. 272 Richmond street, two doors east of Linn street Everything appeared bright to the newlymarried pair. The girl was young, goodlooking and amiable, while the husband, according to Mr. Rickoff, his employer, was one of the best men in the tailoring establishment—steady, sober, trustworthy and capable. Yesterday afternoon the bride and groom gave a little party to 'tlieir immediate friends, in their neatly-furnished apartments. Nothing was spared to make the day a pleasant one; all were dressed in their best, the bride wearing her light and airy white wedding dress. The least went merrily on, when, about 7:30 o’clock, the new housewife discovered that the contents of the coffee-pot were getting low, so she hurried down stairs to the Kitchen to make some fresh, leaving the husband and guests laughing and talking alone. The Are in the kitchen stove had died down, and the girl, in her haste to get back to her company, thoughtlessly picked up a can of kerosene and poured some of the oil upon . the fire. Instantly the fire communicated to her gossamer dress, and in a second she waj completely enveloped in the flames. She rushed out, but could not get free from the fierce embrace of death. Her screams completely paralyzed the company above. They sat still an instant, then all rushed down into the yard. Mr. Rickoff was first, and soon threw his coat around her, and then a blanket was added, but the fire still smoldered beneath and burnt up everything except the waistbands of her skirts and her white wedding slippers. The poor girl was carried up stairs to bed and Dr. Brown summoned. He prescribed for her, but pronounced her case hopeless. Indeed he might well. Bhe was burned completely. There was not a square inch upon her whole body that was not browned by the horrible fire. She lay on the bed ana fairly writhed in pain. Two Sisters of Mercy watched her and nursed her, but their efforts will be in vain. Death will be a happy.release. The husband was severely burned about the head and shoulders; terribly so, but not necessarily fatal. Hisnervous system was rudely shocked, and last night he lay upon the floor of his late happy home and groaned in anguish. The mother of the bride, as well as Mr. Rickoff and his wife, were all more or less injured in trying to succor the dear one. The neighbors did all in tfleir power to help the afflicted family, for those who had assisted at the feast and were called upon to witness the distressing end were so dazed that they could do but little.— Cincinnati Oaz~tte, June 8. ———- —The Wextern (spirit, published at Paoia, Kan., contains some statistics of the growth of that State, which shows astonishing results. TWenty-four new counties have been organized since 1870, containing last year 75,000 people, according to the- compilation of the State Board of Agriculture. Sedgwick, Sumner, Cowley, Harvey and Reno Counties, which five years ago were unrecognized, and had hardly a settler in their limits, now have an aggregate of 35,000 population. In 1869 there were no people in the Arkansas Valley. Now it has twelve organized counties and a large population. The total population of Kansas in iB6O was 107,206; in 1870 it was 364,899; and in 1873 it was 605,063. At this ratio, when the national census is-taken in 1880, Kansas will count over 1,000,000 people. —A gentleman whose probocis had suf sered amputation was iqvited out to tea. “ My dear,” said the good woman of the house to her little daughter, “ I want you to be very particular, and to make no remark about Mr. Jenkins’ nose.” Gathered about the table, everything was going well; the child' peeped about, looked rather puzzled, and at last startled the table: “Ma, why did you tell me not to say anything about Mr. JeDkins’ ndsef He hasn’t got any!” —The total population of the islands of Japan is 33,110,825, of whom 16,796,158 are males and 16,314,687 are females. Of 14,870,426 farmers, 6,886,413 are females; 489,490 merchant offices are presided over by women, as compared with 819,782 governed by men. The criminals in prison number 2,480 men and only 119 females. The Washington Star says every approach to both houses of Congress 4s blocked with pip-stands.