The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-07-02

howell gave me; said $40 and SIS. and Won.
uered why he gave me more Smith said
they feared would mako too much show 81 i.
AT IL o'clock Thursday night was W fire il.
and smith came along with another man IfoI.
lowed Smith up; he asked ne if Was ra,d.
asked who that man was: he said be wss H..
ed man. would do anything he wanted 7 told
Smith thought there was q niger IN the fence.
| and wouldn't do anything with it. Hecama
over next morning and asked il [ WAS coin, -
quit: said all Was safe every man had a rigI.
to burn his own property. | said Was no law.
yer, but If that was SO would 60 on. Sunday
night Was fixed; the kerosene was given mn.
feared it would burn me up, instead of the stain.
cry. Smith proposed the fuse plan; that was
adopted. He got some that Sunday afterpoo,
and told me how to use it. went to the stain
cry, fixed a fuse, one end in the shaynys 40
and the other in the lamp OF lantern, which I
had filled with pure kerosene, lighted the lsmn
and left. locking the door. Howell said this
lamp Was made on purpose to explode. The
lamp came next day after Howell left. The
lamp Was in the l.wer story, sitting ON a porta.
bic forge near the east door. l started toward
home got aloag the canal saw the explosion.
and heard 40 noise. All the doors in lower sto.
ry We're fastened. because Howell said he didn't
want anyone TO get in. The east door was
locked, the others fastened with wooden bars
and north door had hogsheads rolled against it.
L
then, after a few minutes, went to the telegraph
office to telegraph fol fire engines to Ottawa;
then returned to fire, and after while went
home. When Howell came back, first saw
him in Beckwith house He said. .'yo'ye had
quite fire since left" There were strangers
with him. They took me into room and ex.
aminee me about the fire. Next day he told me
he should bs obliged to arrest me, but need
| not be alarmed. l was arrested, several witness
HarA thara haf,r Fec, OBJ.
derstood he paid Averys fec. who defended me-
Howell gave me 800 while l was at Ottawa. I
went east with Howell in November gone six
weeks; went to Bruins wick, n j., thence to New
York, and from there to Charleston and George
town, s. c. Howell paid all my expenses, aud
when l asked for money he gave it to me-in
all, may be $500 or S40O Howell told Inc II
could convict Smith, the whole thing would be
settled. l told Brunker first who did burn the
sta;nery. 1 went to Pittsburg once after
the trial. Norton and Beckwi,h gave me S2j
They told me it would DO The best for Inc and
Howell returned on my own account; could
not hear from anybody, and came back. Twas
arrested and put in Jail being then under in.
dictment. Howell came to see me. Said hs was
away south, and sick. and he baled me out He
seemed cool about it, and so I thought would
be. When l was off with Howell my name was
''Oliver Cole" Howell advised me to change
my name The kerosene cans were placed in
my house, to have my wife fill them but I re-
fused to let her know any thing about it. told
them she Was u lady and should not be mixed up
in this affair. There were two gallon kero.
sene in the stainery, and l saturated the
floors, shavings, &c, with their contents. There
was barrel of varnish there Howell told me 10
pull out the plug and let il run, and did There
was small round can in the store; but don't
know what was in it,-whether gun powder or
not. II was 20 minutes from the time the fire
was set until the whole thing was blazing
Cross Erdmlned Howell first hired me 70
watch the building; then the pretence came
GU, what he meant. Smiths wife is nv mother.
in.law. l was to saturate my clothes. Howell
first proposed that plan. suspected he wanted
to burn me up with the building told him
would burn the building in the way hs proposed
at first, but l never intended TO do it. The
building was 30 feet or more from the canal.
Don't think there was any vsrnish under the
stove. Don't know whether fuse will ignite
Kerosene. Did swear before lockwood didn't
know any,hing about the origin Of the fire. A.
that trial l swore to a lie. Howell said be got
Smith and me down there to swear. and then
that would shut our mouths. Smith swore the
Howell said. zone lawyer would have done
for both sides
Mr.. Gray-Suppose, Zigler. that had been
on both sides, and made you tell the truth, YOU
would now be in the penitentary. How would
that be?
No answer
Mr.. Gray-You and Smith We're irving 10
black.mail Howell aud the insurance companies
at the same time How is that, Zigler.
No answer.
How much money did Howell give you a.
Ottawa--Sl5 or 500?
Ans. lie gave Inc 800. l swore to a lie be-
fore Leavens and Smith, when testified tia.
he gave me but SIS. /
That was lie No. 2S
ms. Yes
Here an affidavit was exhibited to Zigler IL
was taken before Justice J. II. Henry, in New
Jersey, Jan. s, 1870. In this affidavit Zigler
swesrs substantially: J
That Smith told me man had told him il he
!smi'al would send the paper stainery up in
balloon. he could get $1,000, and make biz.
thing besides, and wanted m. to Join him ina
speculation. but refused
On Thursday, the night of Sept 20, was
sitting near the stainery and saw a buggy al
proach, two men in it; stopped opposite III,
building; found one was Smith. the other |
did not know. They were talking low. When (!
they saw me they moved on. Sunday evening, /
oct. }, told my wife was going to church,
and to take the old woman (wite's mother)
home. Went to church met q man who told
me the stancry was on fire
Smitiia different times approached me with
offers OF brlbes as high as $1,000 i'll would fire
the building, but l refused
Afterwards he said il should swear to the
insurance companies that set the fire. ut the
investigation OF Howell, We could get good