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Cromwell Argus, Volume VII, Issue 316, 1 December 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

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Dreadful Death by Burning.

The Queensland Border Post chronicles a fatal accident from fire of the most heartrending description, which occurred on the 26th ultimo, to the wife of Mr J. B. Thomson, baker, of Stanthorpe. It appears the unfortunate young woman was engaged in cooking dinner at a fire outside, at the rear of the shop, and was just in the act of taking oft' a saucepan when the blaze caught the skivt of the light muslin dress she wore, and, finding herself unable to extinguish it, she rushed

to a large tank a few yards distant, with the intention of plunging into the water, but, from the height of the tank, was unable to do so, and immediately rushed back again to the bakehouse, enveloped in flames, and screaming in a distressing manner for her husband, who was,at the time engaged inside, and throwing her arms around him, in her agony, rendered him almost powerless for a few seconds. He attempted to extinguish the flames, but his own clothes had also become ignited, he having on only a white linen shirt and drill trousers, and, the sleeves being tucked above the elbow, his arms were very severely burned. In the meantime other assistance, attracted by the screams, arrived, and a blanket was procured and thrown around her, but by this time nearly every vestige of clothes was burnt off the poor creature, aud she stood writhing in mortal agony. Strange to say, however, although not two square inches of her body from the feet to the head remained unburnt, she walked without assistance from the shop into her bedroom immediately the flames were extinguished. The appearance of the body is stated as horrifying in the extreme, the whole of the skin peeling off, and the dreadful agony of the poor woman previous to the application of the medical remedies will be more easily imagined than described. After all pain had left, the sufferer discoursed in the most sensible manner, and received the intelligence of her approaching death as complacently as possible.