Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-08-16
Strange Case OF Incentiiarism at C~pe
Nav

AN Ex-wAsHINGTosIAS IMPLICATED.
The Cape May Wave on Monday says tls FIRE
discovered in the provision store of Wilson
* Co. on Saturday morning proved II be the
work OF an incendiaTy. Wilson essub eIuent-
y arrested on a charge OF having set fire ~ the
building himself. Ine case had a heating the
same morning before the mayor and alderman,
who bound him over in the sim of As 900 70 ap-
pear at the September term OF court. IL IS
stlted that the accused man, Thomas X. Wilson,
formerly kept sfDre in this city. and after
wards had q store under the Union Club House
In Baltimore. The Cape May correspondent Of
the Baltimore Gdsette writes:
MT. Wilson occupied q provision shop on
Washington street, east of Ocean street, and
not far from the Columbia House, which he
had taken for the ser son, and where he was pur-
suing his usual business. Like al buildings at
Cape May, il was of frame, and. in itself, not
very valuable. Ii was proved that the frame
Work of the building. where the fire had taken
hold, had been saturated In spots with infam-
maoie Oil, and an oil can, containing kerosene,
was found close by the spot. Fortunately the
nre was extinguished in q few moments. MIR.
wilson during the whole OF it had been lying on
state OF apparent semi-stupefaction, es il he
had been drugged or heavily drinking. It was
Almost impossible to arouse him, n0tw ithstand-
ing the racket and noise, and after he arose and
lett the premises, he went over to the Washing
ton House, across the way. and Law down there
again in the porch. His two boys, Henry Scholt
or the fre in the third story. IL the fire
mad got we'll under way they would have
been stified, unless they could have saved
the m elves by jumping from the Windows
On Saturday morning Mr. vii on wss arrested.
and a number of witnesses were examined
before Mayor Miller. The most important evi-
dence was that of Moses Frisby, a colored nan,
who testified that he saw Mr.. vii IN bet ween
one and Two O'Clock walk around the ground
foor OF the building with a lantern, then 60 up
stars, and then come down again and lie down
on bis coat. About 40 minutes afterwards he
saw Erht, and remarked that "cither that
man y gong to have an illumination, or there is
Hre;" and in another minute he heard the cry
OF fire" wikon's own story is that he knows
To.1iny OF the circumstances; that he was stu
pefed until next morning when he found his
ockets cut and his pocket be ok zone. VIII tch
contained $500 or SEQ. He was himself quite
uncertain rs - the amount. His stock was
insured for $500 in the Franklin Firemen's In
surance Company. At the time Of the fire it
WIS not worth over $50. consisting principally
OF wafermelors, but then a man NAV have a
shopfnl of provi,iOns in the morning, and have
little lei. OF a De-'shable nature at night. Its
Almost Impossible to conceive that man of in
fclligence shor'd have undertaken such a thi ng
when lie had 80 little to gain, and ran so reat
ar'sk Of berg found out. Much sympathy Is
expressed tor The family of the prisoner, his
wife and children being here for the summer.
0AsSault with intent to kiss was the charge
on which a PhiladeIpha yOufh Was recapflv ar