BURNED TO DEATH.

Evening Star, Issue 10817, 29 December 1898, Page 2

BURNED TO DEATH.

A shocking death bv burning occurred on the morning of the 16th inst., the victim being Agnes Kerr, widow, aged seventyeight, residing with her daughter at 142 Richardson street, Middle Park, Melbourne suburb. It appears that some paper had been taken from underneath a carpet in the house and shortly before ten o'clock deceased informed a neighbor that she intended to burn it in the yard. She was advised to put it under the copper as being a safer course, and went through the house with that object. A little while afterwards Mrs Taylor, residing next door, saw smoke issuing from the shed at the bottom of the yard, in which the copper was situated, and clambered over the dividing fence and extinguished the fire with a bucket of water. Immediately afterwards she saw flames bursting out of a window at the rear of the bathroom adjoining the house, and on reaching the door was horrified to see deceased lying on the floor alongside the bath, with her clothes on fire and the flames leaping about all around. When, with some difficulty, the fire was extinguished, a dreadful spectacle presented itself, the clothes being burnt off deceased and the body charred out of recognition. It was evident that deceased, who wore a light print dress, had set fire to the paper under the copper, and that the flames had ignited her dress. She then ran along the yard to the bathroom, and, after turning on the water, had fallen where the body was found.