Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-25

+ 80 ~ i ~ 2 2 ? =
Attempt 10 Burn the Residence OF
Mayor Morris-Arrest and Conn
Initment of the Supposed Guilty
Party.
AtI1 o'clock last Saturday night an at
tempt was made to destroy by fire the resi-
denoe Of Mayor K. ] Morris, near the cor
ner Of Spruce and Union streets. AT the
hour mentioned, the carriage driver IN the
employment Of Mayor Morris, in preparing
to retire, discovered that FIRE had been kin
died In wash-room attached to the build
ing, and Immediately broke in the window,
the door being fastened, and proceeded to
extinguish the flames, which had already
partially destroyed dry goods box, and
were rapidly communicating with tne
floor and mantle-piece. The fact that
there had been no fire in the room during
the day, taken in connection with other
circumstances calculated to arouse suspi-
cion of foul play, at once gave rise to the
question, who could the guilty party
be? II was made known to Mayor
Morris that a woman of color, CALI
ing herself Mary F. Rodan, and who was
some time since in his employment as q
servant, but was discharged for dishonest
conduct, had been seen about his premises
at an early hour in the evening. The or
cumstances under which she had left his
employment, as well as threats reported as
having been made by her since that occur
renee, strongly excited the Mayors suspi-
cion that she was the guilty party. 40
compsnied by the csrriage-driver, Mayor
Morris visited the woman's house early
Sunday morning, with the view OF making
some further investigation Of the matter.
Finding in her possession the cotfee-pot
and other cooking utensils used in his
kitchen the day before, she was asked the
question, how came these articles in her
house? She said they were given her the
night before by the Mayors present
cook. The improbability Of the
story, as well as her confused and
agitated manner, made suspicion
doubly sure, and the apparently guilty wo-
man was at once arrested and imprisoned
to await further investigation. The &C
cused woman was yesterday afternoon
brought before Justice Everett, who, after
hearing the evidence, committed Mary f.
Rodan-as she calls herself-to Jail, in de-
fault of security, in the sum of $500, for
her appearance at the next term of the
Criminal court. Eel
The occurrence which may in some
measure account for the alleged spirit of
revenge on her part happened several
months ago, and in about this way: While
this colored woman was in the employment
of Mayor Morris, by whom she was recog-
nized as Mary Rodan, $400 check from
New York on the Third National Bank of
Nashville, in favor of Mary F. Rodan,
came by some means into the possession of
the colored woman mentioned. The bank
officers failing to recognize her, the
Mayor and others were called upon
to establish her identity, and
did so, by stating that the name
in the check was the one by which she was
known to them. She was thereupon paid
the money called for by the check. In a
short time thereafter it transpired that the
check was intended for lady in this city,
and owing to the similarity of name, had
fallen into the possession of the wrong per-
SOD. When this discovery was made, the
guilty woman had expended about half the
amount. The residue, which was careful
ly deposited with business firm, was re-
covered by the Bank. When these facts
were made known to Mayor Morris, he
Immediately discharged the guilty woman
from his employment, and this circum-
stance, it is now supposed, gave rise to a
spirit Of revenge which has neither been
slow nor cautious in its demonstration.