The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-06-09

cd hy the occurrence "r iirc, which though
provulcn,ially resulting: in mn more ,lannr, than
the destruction of irc stables. barn aud proven.
der hrlvngiug to the hotel uC our nri,hl.,r T.
!. Walker, Es, was after followed hv
train oi cvrnin that have since given rise to snnr
local cxrit"m,n's and msarprchcn>,"ns. Thcs"
instead Of beng l"sScncd by reflection. and calm
discussion, appear Ia be assuming II serious rs.
pcct.
~ card 's even in circulation, siunrl bv s"vr-
! raj persons which Assumes to condemn the whole
coutsc pursued in the important case that
was thus presented for the consideration and
decision a; the parties concerned aud whose
contents have directly tcnlrd as well T."
wound uniuStly the feelings of Mr. Walker
and his. family. Convinced, however. TIA:
a far, candid and full statement: "f the
facfa OF TIE case is all that is needed to rc.
move ;l,"ar miSarpr"hcns"ns i.m every unprc.
ju'cc'i quarter. AMI /" vin,licaic what was done
for the relief of MIR. Walker, and M, o,,cr,,
security OF The property ofthr place. We respect
fully submit the fnilowin. exposition to the pub
lie
The "Wednesday previous TO the 22l Of NJ ny
last, man who introduced himself ~ Prof
Block, aligh,c,, nn'l put up at Mr.. Walkers
house. His oSlrnsill, business wa, the !"illimy
OF sl'"ctarlrS. The evening of the ii.r, before al
luc' To-, Ia" WAS still there. and Mr.. Walker thus
dcta.lcs the circumstances Of his connection with
that event: son this evening, Mr.. Block finish
c,l his supper hrf"r" any If the rest of us and,
his custom. walked ont 10 the stables to
look after his horse. Soon after entering the
! loi IA, Ger my law, ,yL
was the s,.iics ini!hn,: S.,w him take from
his l'"ck", Il box Of matches. and .,h, his s"-
,ar--h- is an inr"sSant smoker and makes his
| own scgarS from tobacco wrapped in papcr-
and walk ar"un'l the stables and barn. all under
one roof, and then 90 in the lighted SCAR in his
mouth. IL too dark for her to see what he
was doing, hut remarked with surprise the i'm
prudence of the mans carrying li.htr, sc-ar
| int" such place.
"Af.r some Time he out aud returned TO-
wards the hotel; III the mean while Mrs Wal.
kcr AMI myself ha set ont f r. church, AMI got
as far rs Mr. Ean:e's, when tn. hlaz. Of fire in
the direction Of my premises caught my eye In
san'ly jumping from the carriage and hasten.
ing through by path t." the scene, i,,und my
stables AMI barn half consumed, and III. rest of
=.
was Il" where tn BE- seen at The first cry Of fir.
he ha'! rushed to the stables. and secured his
own horse and buggy, anl after rlacing them
In safe quarters, returned more in the seem"
Of III" fire till !, was all over though aeon Si.lcr-
able crowd collected at tn. spot
| Mr.. Roach, Superintendent o., the q. IL C.
H. r., asserts that after or near the close of the
fire, he returned 10 the house, ;nl found Mr.
| b"ck ih"rr, VIII" seemed T." b: quite a.ia,.,l
but SAID nothing. The fire after consuming the
| stables and barn. Progressed 10 farther"
'l'c:"rc going 10 bel. Lcx;linm".l caTr!al!y in
10 all tii.: facts OF the case. IL: lar could :s.,.r
| tain thcn, and l"cam" convinced in my own
! mind, tia, the fire originated from Ike -ru,s
cnr'!,s~,"sS Of Mr.. Binck's going will, Ii.;!,c.!
s":ar int" the barn Int rs the evidence was jnly
c;rcu" .niial, | concluded To accrc.lit j, TO ;..
cdert, l,vc,,l the i,S>, am., say nothing more.
| ;'l"iil IT, father than IL ak "f Mr.. Block tl..
next morning, whether or not he had gone. Just
| Gcl"'c ihe tire int" Ill" stables with his lighted
! s"gar? lie Sc.mcd indignant al tn. Question and
answered cnphalicay that h.. had not and more
| over denied, on my iniimatng its pru!,a!,,!ity
that he ,a'l gone up into the loft an,nnr the corn
hiadrs t" get more provenlcr for his horse. nh.
i'ir began III the l"lt, proved by Capt
Jn". B"oZ-", who was one fihe first to reach
| the place anil asked, if | thought Il. would Ii,
! such service, when boy was near To do it for
him \ ct he had not, before this, refused To car
! ry water TO his own ROOM though Il servant was
constantly al hand to wait upon him.
This was far as designed To- nv.s,nu..
the matter, thong: the truti. is it. was both due
II NJ .,lI ..,,.1
| I"'ry should be made, not To harraSs or pcrSe-
cute the stranger, but because of the solemn OBJ
legation resting upon every community to cx.
| anime carefully the circ,lins, anccs ;,t.udi,,,
every extraordinary death or house hurninr oc
cu'rrEcc in it, whether it. be the rcsu, Of ,cci-
DENT c"reicssn"ss or malicious design. But de-
spite my resolation ii WAS dccrccd that this
| should not ESCAPE the mcritcd investigations"
What followed WAS curious. to say the least Of
| 1t. aud well calculated To give rise To paiuful
si'''iScs III other minds, not deeply interest ted
rs Mr.. Walkers. Soon after tn. conversation
detailed above, Mr.. Block had his bugyy brought
round, and refusing To let any one enter his
room for the purpose Of bringing down his bar.
gage, performed this service also himself and
Will" III the act OF doing it, Mrs. Walker asserts
that she observed i'll his coun tcnance an express
SION "i malrv"!cncc. which she could not but re.
mark and can never forget Having paid his
bi'i' he drove OIL; but had only gone as far rs
the house Of Mrs. Byrd, when the room he had
just vacated was discovered To be on fre-a
toilet table in blaze. The flames were fortu
n"'e'y soon cNlinguishcd though it is witnessed
by Dir. James l''icy, ST.. that if the room had
been sealed with plank the whole establishment
must have burned to the ground. The house is
PI"stcrcd throughout.
Mr. " aIker instantly, after being assured of
Tie safety OF his property, went to the Maris.
trate IS aud procured n warrant for Mr.. Block.
ana had him arrested. 1t must he related, how
ever, that as soon ns Block heard of the second
alarm he returned to the hotel, and meetiuu
Mrs. W., exclaimed to her "nalam, somebody
's ende avorlng to ruin either you or myself"