BURNT TO DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 6

BURNT TO DEATH.

• —i — 1 A MOTHER'S FEARFUL EXD. A burning accident, as the result of x which.,.a married.-woman was burnt to diath,, and hor : two children injured, occurred- at Dulwich (South Australia) oa December 31. Mrs. Matilda Russell, the wife of : Mr. H. Russell, a leadlight worker, ,rose at 8.45 / o'cl<jck."'• While still in night attire, she proweded to the kitchen to light a kerosene stovie, with the object'of .preparing a cup .of tea. She was; aocoiripanied by ; •• one of her. 6ons, Leslie Aldridee Ru&ell, : aged U jcare, who.stated that Ilia mother had lit the stove, using,, as is customary; a small quantity, of methylated . spirits.. The stove, however, did nst seem to b«' ' in proper working order, and she. remark., v ed that the' nippn through, which the air passes appeared to bo blocked. He thought , ; sho started 1 to pump, the kerosene, and force ga9 through, with the result that' a torriflo explosion followed. In a; secxind ' his mother was .enveloped in flames., The boy, too, found his clothes alight, and, rusliing out into the passage,-he seiijed-.a blanket and rolled .himself upon'fit to:, extinguish the .flames. Then he "ran, . jumped through a window, and pulled two , i of his younger brothers out,of bed; 1 fear- •, ing that they might! be unable to cscaps i and be,burnt.. , ' ,: Mr. Russell, aroused by termed screams, sprang out of bed and rushed to the kitchen, which he found full of I smoke, and burning; furiously.. Ho iraa , not aware that his wifo' was in tlie. room, [ and it was not until/ho had,procured-a . ! hose' and partially extinguished .the ( , flames tliatjh© .was horrified to find Mrs. Russell'burrit'to death' on* thV floor where she had fallen. The .body .was so terribly I charred ; as to bo almost.unrecognisable., • Leslie., Russell's injuries oonsisted,.,of ' '■ severe' burns 1 i«n Uie -righlj arm, and a younger,brother,,Clifford A. Russell,' figed , I 7 years, : was also burnt slightly. . I Mrsi Russell was 46 years of age, and , t loft a family of-tight ohildren. •