GRAVES, T. Smith
Source: Greencastle Star Press 24 March 1894 p
1
Mrs. Smith Graves, a former resident of this
city died on Friday of last week at Indianapolis. The Journal of that city
says: “Mrs. T. Smith Graves died at 4 o’clock yesterday morning from the
effects of the burns she received from the igniting of gasoline. From the time
of the accident until death relieved her she suffered great pain. It develops
that she sacrificed her life for that of a boy, a relative of the family. The
boy was in the room when the gasoline ignited and the flames were rapidly
surrounding him when Mrs. Graves sprang to where he was, rushing through the
flames and carrying him through the fire to a place of safety. In going through
the flames Mrs. Grave’s clothing was ignited and she received the burns which
resulted in her death.
Note the Indianapolis Journal 15 March 1894 p
8 – adds “Mrs. Graves was raised in this city and was widely known here. She
had been a member of the Central Avenue Church choir for years. She was the
daughter of Michael Sells who is now absent in California and wife of Mr. T.
Smith Graves of M. Sells & Co. The funeral services will be held as soon as
the relatives who are absent return.
Note 2 – The day before at the 8th
annual meeting of the McAll Mission at the Central Christian Church, Mrs. Smith
Graves sang a solo.
Source: Indianapolis Journal 18 March 1894
(Sunday) p 3
The funeral of Mrs. T. Smith Graves was held
yesterday afternoon at her home, No 321 North New Jersey Street.
Source: Indianapolis News Tuesday 13 March
1894 p 6
Mrs. TS Graves of No. 317 North New Jersey
Street was badly burned by a gasoline explosion this afternoon. The family was
house cleaning and was using gasoline. Mrs. Graves and her mother, Mrs. Michael
Sells do not know how the can of gasoline came to explode as they say all the
fires in the house had been turned out as a precaution. After the explosion
Mrs. Graves ran from the house with her clothes ablaze. She met a driver for
Albert Gall who was bringing a carpet to the house. He wrapped the carpet around
her and succeeded in smothering the flames. Mrs. Sells who had also come to her
rescue was burned about the hands. The fire department extinguished the fire in
the house the loss on which was small. Although Mrs. Graves did not inhale any
of the flames, the physicians say she is dangerously burned. She is the wife of
T. Smith Graves of the Indianapolis Driving Club. About ¾ of Mrs. Grave’s body was burned
though not deeply. Her head, however, was fully protected by the carpet. Her
condition is alarming.