TERRIBLE SCENE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3807, 11 May 1891, Page 2

TERRIBLE SCENE.

On Saturday morning (March 7), a woruan is reported to bare been burned to death in Rea-street, Birmingham, in sight of a crowd of people. Her name was Catherine Gallagher, and the crowd was collected, in the first instance, by a woman quarrelling with her husband, Harry Spears, who was drunk. Mrs Gallagher interfered, and Spears threw a lighted lamp ao her. Striking her on the back it was shivered into fragments, and she had not taken two steps into \he court when she was on fire from head to foot. The flames lighted up the court, and showed it full of onlookers, but these with fright written on their laces shrank away from her, and for a moment she stood shrieking and helpless in the centre of a wide circle of thom. Then a woman named Russell ran forward and threw her down and rolled her along the pavement ; but this measure, which was proir.pt, courageous, and well intentioned enough, was unavailing, and the woman, scared in her turn, stood on, wringing her hands and railing at the crowd. "Is there never a man among you ?" she cried: "she's burning to death." The poor old creature had risen to her knees. She was battling with the flames, which enveloped now her head and face, and was swaying miserably from side to side. By another effort she got upon her feet and staggered towards her own house, but as she reached the door she turned about and stood almost naked, for the wind had blown away the chirred fragments of her clothing , and the people saw her clasp her hnnds, and saw the fear of sudden death in her uplifted face as she cried incessantly " Lord, have mercy on me!" Someone came at last with a blanket and covered the frail, blackened form ; but it was too late. She was borne to the Queen's Hospital, and her sufferings ended shortly afterwards. Spears absconded,