THAT DEADLY FLANNELETTE.

Evening Star, Issue 12162, 5 April 1904, Page 7

THAT DEADLY FLANNELETTE.

Dr Wynn Westcott, in the Hackney Coroner's Court, held an inquiry the other day into, tho circumstances attending the death of Elizabeth Molyneux, aged twentythree, a nurse engaged at the Hackney Infirmary, who was burnt to death at the infirmary. Mrs Lament, ydfe of the superintendent of the Poplar Infirmary, gaye evidence of identification. Deceased was a. y-ery bright, spirited girl, and was a probationer for nearly two years. Mrs Baker, a scrubber at" the Hackney Infinnary, "deposed that dee-eased shouted to her from her cubicle to come quickly. Witness went and .found hev standing with her flannelette nightdress in flames! Witness threw over her, and then rang the fire alarm. Nurse Mills stated that the. deceased rushed into her room with her nightdress alight. She shouted: " Oh, Molls, lam o;i fire." Witness at once threw a blanket over her to extinguish the flames. The firemen subsequently took deceased away on a stretcher.

Dr Gordon, medical superintendent at the Hackney Workhouse, said the curtain in, deceased's cubicle was on lire when the firemen arrived. The deceased was extensively burned all over the body. She died from her injuries about twelve hours after lie occurrence. Her statement as to, how she came by her injuries was that' she was- combing her hair in front, of fire whsn her nightdress became ignited. She had been on night duty, and was. just preparing to go to bed. The Coroner, in summing up, said this was another instance of the extreme danger of persons wearing flannelette nightdresses. There was hardly a week passed by but what some child was burnt to death through its nightdress corning in contact with the fare. There was some form of flannelette which was said to be fireproof, but the sale of this w,as very small on account of it being a penny more a yard. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and expressed sympathy with the deceased's parents, who reside in Birmingham.