Doolin, Thomas

T. S. Doolin, age 40 years, in charge of the rock crusher and road work between here and Commerce...was burned so badly Tuesday night, east of the Commerce school building that he died at the road bunk house at 2:15 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. He left the bunk house about 5 o'clock Tuesday evening with a team and wagon for Commerce to get a rock crusher jaw. That was the last seen of him until about 5 o'clock Wednesday morning, when his moans in the vicinity of the school house attracted the attention of men going home from work at the mines. When he was found his shoes were burned off and his limbs and body burned almost to a crisp. At this place there is a gas regulator, and a small leak in the main, which the company left unrepaired to prevent freezing. The escaping gas had been set afire and it was this blaze that so burned the man that he died from the effect. There are two theories of the affair, one that the man had become drunk and fell into the blaze and the other that he had been foully dealt with and after a severe beating by thugs, was pulled into the flame and left to perish. When found in the morning, he would occasionally say in the mornings, "they left me," which implies that others had a part in the early incidents of the night. His money was all gone, but his pocket book was left, which might be an indication of robbery. He was taken to the bunkhouse, where he died later in the day, without regaining consciousness. He was the man employed by the road committee to handle the machinery in building roads under its direction. He came from Joplin Missouri, here and was regarded as very competent.