Lakeview, NE Kerosene Accident, Apr 1922

LAKEVIEW WOMAN IS FATALLY BURNED.

Mrs. William Pillard's Body Is Burned to a Crisp When She Tries to Make Fire With Kerosene.

Mrs. William Pillard of Lakeview, was probably fatally burned at 9 p.m. Tuesday when her clothes took fire while she was attempting to start a fire in a stove with kerosene. Her husband's hands were seriously burned when he carried her out into the back yard and attempted to battle the flames with his hands. Both were taken to St. Elizabeth's hospital.

Dr. William H. Slattery was taken to the Pillard home in Spain & Schnell's ambulance, and announced that the woman was so badly burned that it was not possible to administer an opiate with a hypodermic needle to sooth[sic] the nerves. Every inch of her skin was burned to a crisp. Doctor Slattery said. The Pillard's little daughter was taken to the home of Mrs. Pillard's parents, who live in Lakeview.

Mr. Pillard is a steel car repairer, employed by the Burlington railroad. Neighbors knew but little of how the accident happened. Mr. Pillard was suffering so with pain, and was in such worry about his wife, that he was able to give no information.

Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Ward, 108 South Nineteenth street, were riding on West O street, before the Pillard home when a woman's screams attracted their attention. Mr. Ward left his auto and ran into the Pillard home, thru the house and into the back yard, where he saw Mr. Pillard holding his wife in an upright position, trying to fan out the flames with his hands. Mr. Ward took off his overcoat and wrapped it about Mrs. Pillard, but found that the flames were almost completely confined under Mrs. Pillard's dress. Her outer clothing was not burning as much as the underclothing was.

Acting under the emergency, Mr. Ward called the police station to ask for help and a doctor. It happened that Doctor Slattery was at the station when the call came in.

The physician announced that he believed that Mrs. Pillard could not live. Her husband is painfully, but not dangerously, burned.

The Nebraska State Journal, Lincoln, NE 5 Apr 1922
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!