MRS. R.A. MACE

MACE

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 2/2/2002 at 20:17:24

Decatur County Journal
July 2, l9l4

On last Wednesday morning a terrible accident
happened which resulted in
the death of MRS. R.A. MACE, one of the
estimable women of the Allerton
Community.

The News told in last week's issue how the
accident happened. Early in
the morning MRS. MACE had started a fire
under a large kettle in the
yard, preparatory to doing the family
washing. While she was busy with
other work the fire died down, and in order
to rekindle it quickly she
took the coal oil can, a five gallon can
which only contained about a
quart of oil, and poured it on the fire.
Some smouldering embers
ignited the oil and there was a loud
explosion. The oil can was
literally blown to pieces, and the oil, or at
least a part fell on MRS.
MACE's clothing, and in an instant she was a
mass of flames.

With her clothing all on fire, MRS. MACE did
not lose her presence of
mind. She was wearing a sun bonnet and in
order to keep the flames from
burning her face, pulled it down over her
face. Her first thought was
to secure a blanket or comfort to wrap
herself in and knowing there was
a long strip of carpet on the kitchen floor
she ran for the house. She
was considerable distance from the house and
no doubt she received her
fatal burns while making the trip. She
wrapped herself in the carpet
and by that time MR. MACE was there and
wrapped his coat about her and
extinguished the flames.

She was placed in bed and a physician called
and all done for her
possible and it was at first thought she had
a chance, but about noon
her condition became worse, and she passed
away Wednesday afternoon.

As evidence of the esteem in which the
deceased was held there were
twenty-eight automobiles and twenty-seven
teams in the funeral
procession. It was a terrible accident and
one that plunged the whole
community into sorrow. The sympathy of all
goes out to the husband.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 2, 2002