The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-07-02
Who Set Fire to the Howell
Wall Paper Mills at
Marseilles?
Morris D. Smiths Confession!
THE TRIAL.

Paper Staihery at Marseiles-was taken up.
The indictment, in several counts, charges the
prisoners with having burned this establish.
mert, to defrnud twenty.one insurance compa-
mics, therein named, out of an aggregate of
ninety Thousand dollars insurance.
Messrs. Charles Blanchard and H. X. Boyle, of
Ottawa, and Judge Van Amman, of Chicago APP
pear for the people, and Messrs. Julius Avery
and o. @. Gray, of Ottawa, and Geo. w. Stipp,
of Princeton. for the Defence or rather for How
ell, the prisoners having obtained separate trials.
After all of Monday afternoon and Tuesday
until ten o'clock were spent in obtaining jury,
forty-five individuals being examined, the fol.
lowing jurors were selected aud sworn in:
E. II. Raymond, J. d. Harris, Geo. Keith, L.
G. Willard, L. G. Trenary, Watson Bachelor,
u. G. Mills, James Pickens, +. &. Blust, H. d.
Clark, d. n G,rdner and A. G. Child.
Judge Van Arman opened fer the people in a
brilliant and elegant effort Of about two hours
length, in which he fearfully portrayed the
crime of arson and probable death, and then pre-.
sented an ingenious theory, which will be shown
by the testimony. Julius Avery, Esq, made
| defence, showing line of conduct pursued by
Mr.. Howell, part Of which was perfectly con.
| sistent with many facts which the prosecution
| would present, and yet entirely consouant with
perfect innocence and pure integrity
The testimony of Mr.. M. A. Howell, jr., the
defendant, read, as taken at former trial
| against Morris ID. Smith, before Justices Leavens
aad Smi last October. From this it appeared
that the building in question was of rough
stone, thr'e stories high, 5Ox1Y2 feet long, and
| when put up was worth from SIS, 900 to SCI, 600,
and that the machinery therein was valued at
S47 OCO, besides the stock &o.,-so that he figures
his loss at $4,000; that3he employed Zi1ler as
Waterman; that while he (HowelD was at his
! former home on business, and sick in bed, news
| came to him that the Stainery had been burned !;
| that Zigler was the Waterman in charge at the
time; and that on returning from the East PEG.
pie pointed out Felix Zgler as the probSble in.
cendiary; that he was arrested, but NO sufficient
evidence appearing, Siglsr was discharged; that
subsequently discovered circumstances indicated
Norris d. Smith as the inoendiary. Smith, too,
was arrested, but was discharged for want Of
evidence to convict him.
MORRIS u. SMITHS CONFESSION.
Wednesday Morris d. Smith was called to the
witness stand, and made what he called con.
fession-a statement SO strange in its details that
| we give it entire to our readers
live 3 miles south of Marseilles; have been
there 12 or ID years; been citizen of this state
80 years /; AM 60 years old. Know Howell, the
detcndsrt Found Il card at my house request
| ing me to call at the Beckwith House and see
| Howell. did SOFT was the day of the republi-
can county convention, and Howell got into my
buggy and rode with me to Ottawa. l was aux.
, ious to Frank Whitmore nominated On the
! way, when atont mile from Marselles, Howell
began sort of blind conversation. I generally
take suci, Things pretty quick He said, in sub
stance, You read the papers you frequently
hear OF fires; you know how buildings are some
| times insured for full value and sometimes only
partially, and how men get into tight places l
I'm going t. tell you how am situated. have
| two partners-two men who have invested all
hey have in the stainery, and now 1t is out of
ny power TO make them whole; besides, the
staiuery don't stand where / want it," / got his
| whole meaning He asked ne if | wanted to
max some money. said was always ready to
make money. He said, "When we get back to
Maiseilles will ply you 80 that honors will be
easy with YOU ~ long af you live" or words like
that. "Wh,n we get back will show you how
to do it. There are things in the building-ke-
rose ne in barrels, shavings, straw, &c.' I took
the contrac-dgreed TO do the job. When we
got back he showed me, on tho east side Of the
luilding, some casks containing straw, &c, ON
the first floor; u stove gu the second, besides
little of everything. He said there were holes
bored under the stove. ] must have little talk
with him; it would affect the insurance. He
opened the stove ana showed me 1t was full OF
shavinps, coal, no. Under the stove Yves pan
of yar'ish--u deep bake pan. He said the warn.
me pan il it had leaked out, should fill it two.
thirds full varnish oask was below; he said
was all safe; that could get out easil go
across the or, md take the bridge was to
empty the vpc"', h around and under the stove,
and saturato the holes to the lower floor with Ike.
ioseDe. Kerosene was there the oask was to De
| empticd and the straw scattered around Straw
on second floor, casks, shavings, &c, below. I
was to scatter keIos every where; then 20 out
If window below; would have half hour,
and when once ignited, all the devils couldn't
put it out. WAS to ignite kindling in stove--
irrnish to be set on stove-it would boil over and
let fire to everything around. He then gave me
he koy, and said he was gong to Chicago. l
would receive u letter from some one ut Chicago
TO meet him at Marseiles; tho letter would be
about mares or horses, and when that came, then
IN two days was to burn the stainery. He
NO. He asrsed 6s 5000 S iU.s. mt S. and
$4,000 after he got Els money from the insurance
companies, and more II everything went of
smoothly. Gard hero shown witness.| Exactly
like card l mentioned. Was given me BY my
housekeeper, and by me to Mr. BOYLE or homv