TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN REAL LIFE

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 9921, 5 February 1894, Page 4

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IN REAL LIFE.

Here is a terrible tragedy in real life, as touchingly told by a Vienna correspondent : " About ten years ago all Vienna was enthusinslio over a young actress, Josephine Wessely, who, a tradesman's daughter, had made her way to the t leading parts in Shakespeare' 3 dramas, and was one of the ohiel ornaments oi the Imperial Burg Theatre. Notwithstanding her success she led a modest and retired life, devoted her savings to her family, so that her father was able to establish two large businesses, and was soon well enough off to invest some money in a house and large wine-cellar. Then Josephine Wessely suddenly fell iil and died at the age of twenty-seven. Her portrait is in the Burg Theatre gallery, and many visitors gaze upon it between the acts. Those who envied the old shoemaker bis daughter's success thought ho had paid dear enough for his stroke of luok when shf ' died. Imagine the commotion on Wednes j day week when Vienna learned that he ha t died a frightful death. He was busy in his cellar on the Tuesday night with 'p, .servant, and as he was moving a cask in which bu1 j phnr had been burnt to clean it the man held the candle too near. There was an esplo3ion, and the clothes of both men were on fire in a moment. The cellar waa filled with dense smoke. The man fonnd bis way to the entrance and called for help, but old Wessely in his maddening pain lost his way, and when at last neighbours came into the burning cellar they found him in agony in a dark corner, burned most terribly. Baron Mundy took him to the hospital in one of his ambulance cars. He was immediately placed in the cold water bath, where his excruciating pains ceased. His children came to him during the night, and with the help of the doctors he wrote a will on a china tablet under the water and then died. The persons who were present at this scene say that it wain most heartrending moment when the father expired, after having alluded to the untimely end of bis darling daughter.