The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-12
LOCAL MATTERS.
THE ALLEGED ARSON CASE

THE ALLEGED ARSON CASE.
The case of George ODay, charged with
feIoniousIy setting fire to the store of Denis
VDay. on Main street between Nineteenth
and Twentieth, was called in the Police
Court yesterday morning for examination.
The fire, it will be remembered, occurred at
an early hour on Sunday morning, and the
arrest Of Mr.. O'Day has already appeared in
the local columns Of The Dispatch.
The first witness examined yesterday was
Mr.. Benjamin Bragg. He testified that about
O'Clock Monday he heard noise, as he
thought, on his premises, but found that it
proceeded IRON tho premises occupied By
O'Day. Went down and saw fire i'll the
basement. Saw Sergeant Whitlock, Of the
police, and called his attention to it. He
| went down into the basement. The fire had
then burnt through the floor, and the fire
was dropping in the basement. at request
of Captain AinSlie, went into the second
story. Saw two beds or mattresses on the
Hoor-oue lying in the doorway, saturated
with something which smelt like kerosene
oil. On the inside room, adjoining the par.
lor, WAS place cut in the partition and two
or three pisces of fat pine wood inserted.
| In the parlor was bucket of fluid like
kerosene oil. On the floor there was also
| kerosene and about one pound Of butter.
| do not know, continued the witness,
who set fire to the houSe-know nothing to
connect the prisoner with it. Never had
been up atairs-have been in store probl-
bly, six times. When went in the store
the fire had been put out by the hrelnen.
who broke in the front door.
w. r. Goodman Was the next witness.
He said: A hole had been burned in the
fjoor. and the fire was climbing up the wal!
| when be saw it. In the parlor was mattress
saturated with something like oil In the
partition, six pieces of tat lightwood had
nceu placed. Know nothing OF who set fire
| to the house. Denis O'Day owns the place.
Several days ago he had good stock; that
night had small stock. George ODay ls
| bis clerk.
William II. Shields deposed that on the
bod on the paror floor there was short
piece of candle, which had been lighted.
O'Day lives in the house. lie saw him last on
Friday. Took glass Of ale there on Sunday
night about 10 o'clock. Saw him on Seven
teenth street. Saw him on Sunday afternoon
near the house. Don't know who set fire
| to the house, and know nothing to connect
! the prisoner with the burning.
Henry Mathews sworn said that there
| was wardrobe in the room, sitting next TO
| the partition. 1t was open, and l thought
| there was pair Of pants in it.
Policeman Sum Michaels sworn: Saw
O'Dav about 10 TO u Sunday night ut GUY
ernator's. He was arrested at MIR. Rcacii's,
on Eighteenth between Broad and Marshall.
When arrested by Wren heard him say that
he went to bed that night at u. lie seemed
surprised when told that the house had been
burned, and asked If anything had been
saved. Seemed excited when arrested, but
| recovered his conposure soon after. Asked
Wren if anything had been saved. Wren
said, evcrything-even the kerosene, lie
| then said, kerosene oil, be ~
Sergeant Dan Wren said he Knocked at the
door, and In short time O'Day put his bead
| out of the window and asked what was the
| matter. Wren asked if he did not know that
| the house was OIL fire. He asked, eXcltedly,
what house. Found hammer and chlsels
| on the premises with plasterng on them !;
didn't know whose they were,
Aiajor II. a. Claiborne being sworn, sald
that tho property was insured in 1853 by
Shields for 5000. Mr.. George NJ. O'Day
having become the purchaser Oh the lth OF
November, 1872, insured the whole premises
for s. 600: wanted it for $500; the new
policy includes more buildings; the policy
was in force ut the time OF the fire; had the
building been consumed he would only have
received indemnity for the actual loss sus.
tanned.
Major D. n. Walker said ho had an In
surance Of $4,000 on stock for Denis
! ODay, which was in full! force when the fire
occurred. Mr.. O'Day had six or eight poll
cies Oh other property in our office.
| G. {. Gregory said he saw George UDay
about 1915 pass up Eighteenth street near
the corner Of Broad. Was going in the di-
rection of Fenable street.
| Captain PurkS said he ordered the door to
the store to he broken open with axes. Lad
to break open the pasSaSe-door also.
| Llr. Roach, for the defence, said that
George O'Day was at his house at fifteen
minutes to u. He went out; came back
ut fifteen minutes past IL; sat short while
and was then conducted TO his bedroom bY
Roaci's wife; first came at 10 o'clock; slept
! in n room over Roach's chamber; didn't
| think he could have come down without his
knowledge. Coming from the upstairs you
first enter the kitchen, with one door leading
to the kitchen and the other to the yard;
both Of them arc usually locked and barred.
He could not get out without coming through
the room occupied by Miss Branch.
Sergeant Whitlock, Policeman Otey, T..
| w. Tavlor, and Mr.. Bennett were also eX-
amined for the prosecution, but there were
no new deyelopementS in their testimony.
When The witnesses were all examined tie
accused wus sent on by Justice White to the
grand jury Of the Hastings Court for lndict.
ment on the first Monday in January, and
bailed in the sum Of $4,000. .
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