Clara Frances Plettner
Kentucky Post, Saturday, 9 January 1904, page 5
Mitzpah Court, Tribe of Ben Hurr, installed officers Friday night. Mrs. Robert Plettner, who was re-elected Secretary was presented with a jeweled pin.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 28 January 1904, page 5
George, the 14 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Rober Plettner, of Berry Avenue, is seriously sick at his home with rheumatism.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 4 September 1908, page 5
At the adjourned meeting of the Bellevue Council last night plans for the construction of a fire escape on Balke Opera House were submitted by Mrs. Plettner, representative of the estate. The plans provide for one instead of two exits through windows on the second and third floors, but as they seemed to answer all requirements, they were adopted.
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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 17 May 1910, page 2
Mrs. Clara Plettner, of 209 Berry av. Bellevue, well known in lodge circles and resident agent fo the Balke estate, had a close call yesterday when she nearly choked to deathon a fish bone about an inch long that lodged in the esophagus, as she was eating.
The family made an attempt to get it out, but could not and called a physician, who was also powerless to render any aid. She was removed to Speers Hospital in Dayton and the troublesome bone was finally removed without having to operate upon her. She returned to her home this morning and except for a rather sore neck is not much the worse for her experience.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 31 August 1912, page 3
Mrs. Clara Plettner, 62, of 209 Berry av. Bellevue, was fatally burned in a gas explosion at the Balke Opera House, Berry and Fairfield avs. Bellevue, at 9 am this morning. Mrs. Plettner who was caretaker of the Balke Building had gone into the cellar to turn on the water for workmen who were repairing the first floor. James Ross, a former Councilman, who has the contract to repair the building, stated that he warned the woman not to go into the cellar as the gas meter had been taken out yesterday and the odor of gas was sickening. Despite his warning, Mrs. Plettner entered the cellar. A few minutes later a terrific expolsion shook the entire building.
Large plate glass windows in the building were blown to atoms. Ross was knocked from a ladder and the force of the explosion was so great that it felled a team of horses on Fairfield av. to the ground. A large box of plate glass, still in its packing of straw, was set on fire and added to the confusion. Passerby and workmen rushed into the building and dragged the blazing box to the street.
As the volunteer fire fighters again entered the building they found Mrs. Plettner groping her way to the door. Her clothes had been burned off and the skin terribly burned. She had walked unaided from the cellar to the first floor. Acting Chief Dressel haus, Officer Groat and Fireman Thompson were summoned and removed the dying woman to Speers Hospital in Dayton. Mrs. Plettner has been caretaker of the Balke Building for about 20 years. During that time the city offices of Bellevue were quartered in the building. Recently the city offices were transferred to the new Fraternal Hall Building on Taylor av.
Just what caused the explosion will probably never be known. Workmen claim that when the meter was taken out yesterday, there was no cap put on the gas pipe. They say the gas leaked through this pipe and that Mrs. Plettner probably struck a match causing the explosion. Mrs. Plettner is the widow of Robert Plettner, a former Bellevue patrolman. She has four children, two son and two daughters, who were notified of the accident of their mother. They hurried at once to Speers Hospital, where it was reported that there is but little hope for her recovery.
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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 3 September 1912, page 2
Coroner Dr. James Digby is investigating the explosion in the Balke Opera House, Saturday, which resulted in the death of Mrs. Clara Plettner, the agent for the building. In her dying statement taken late Saturday at Speers Hospital, Mrs. Plettner said she had gone into the cellar to turn on the water and she tripped on an obstruction and fell, accidentally lighting some matches she had in her hand. Coroner Digby began his investigations Saturday, shortly after Mrs. Plettner's death.
Employees started to dig a ditch on Fairfield av. in front of the building in an endeavor to locate the alleged lead. Clifford Plettner, son of the dead woman, and a special officer, guarded the ditch all of Saturday and Sunday nights so that no one could tamper with the work of the search for the alleged leak.