BRITTON, Mary Ansberry
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal
December 20, 1890
Mrs Charley Britton in Protecting Her Children Meets Her Death. A telegram from Bainbridge on Tuesday announced to Wm. Ansberry and wife that their daughter, Mrs. Charley Britton, had been fatally burned at her home in Bainbridge. They left at once for that place and were with her when she died, perfectly conscious, at 12 o'clock. The accident occurred after this manner: About 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, Mrs. Britton started with pan of live coals from one room to another in order to start a fire. In some unexplainable way her dress took fire and instantly blazed up. Two of her little children started to run to her as she was extinguishing the flames, and tearing lest their clothes might also take fire she stopped her frenzied work of smothering tho fire on her clothes to push her children back from the danger, and in her blazing garments to free from their presence. As she did so the flames burst up and in a moment her clothes were burned off and she was a living coal from head to foot. Strange to say she suffered no pain and was perfectly conscious up to the time of her„ death.
The lady was well known here, having lived in this city most of her life.": Her maiden name was Mary Ansberry, and she was married at an early ago to Charley Britton, a section boss on the Big Four. Mr. Britton removed to Brainbridge not long ago when appointed section boss on tho Monon. Mrs. Britton was 24 years old and leaves four small children. The funeral occurred at the Catholic church on Thursday at at 8:30 a. m.