The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-05
THE RUTLAND MORNING. SEPTEMBER 1874

never dressed so quickly in my life"
ne said, in tremulous voice, and he rub
pea his hands together nervously. He was
bale,headed-l could note by the light of
the flames his partial badness but his at
tire was complete in other respects, even to
the neat adjustment of his shirt collar and
neckerchiet. | could not doubt that he had
never undressed at all.
lie turned his cleaning eyes full upon
me; his gaze seemed to me more baneful
and maleHcent than ever. For moment
almost dreaded personal violence at his
hands.
" You've had narrow escape" he said.
very narrow. He looked as though
he grudged me my life most bitterly.
1t was an accident; though il broke
out in two or three places at once. cant
think how it happened" And again he
glared at me.
You cant either. suppose = lie asked.
81 cannot tell, sai lainlv.
at will be the ruin Of mc-ol the firm
the complete ruin.
"You're not iusuleI?'
eyes, we're insured, but not for the full
amount-not nearly--only for tiitle.'
And your brother, Mr. Nathan-is he
safe?'
'lie was moment ago. But he went
back. told him there was plenty of time
to save some documents of mine?"
And he's not been seen since 2"
"No, not since. But it was only mo-
mcnt age. He's all right Nathan knows
what he's about
The horrid truth then burst upon me.
The place had been set on fire for the sake
OF the insurance money, and had been de-
coyed to be "A ledger and destroyed. in Or
der to give color to the proceed
ing. While this passed through
my mind Nathan Rcklam made lis
appearance at the open private door. With
a wild cry, Aaron rushed towards him, and
Slut the door. He wished to be the sole
beneficiary. The confusion was so great
that few took heed of the brothers. Thick
clouds of dust now mingled with the smoke
The crowd was driven farther back by
some yards Even the fremen were forced
to retreat.
Tie outer wall of the house had fallen.
| remembered nothing more. | was
found, as | afterwards learnt, stretched
senseless upon the wet road, and was car
ried upon the shoulders of friendly BY
ISLANDERS, to neighboring tavern. There
remained some days in an alarming con.
dition of exhaustion and delrium.
The brothers Reklam were not again
seen alive. 1t was generally agreed that
they had both persisted in the fire of
their own conrving -retribuiion had
ovcrtaken them in terrible way.
No trace of them was ever dis
covered in the ruins of the building. MOI
were any relics found of the treasures
that had once filled their premises to over
flowing. My own belief was, and is, that
these hal been carefully and stealthily re-
moved some time before the fire broke out.
Briei paragraphs IN the newspapers
were devoted to the "serious confagra.
ton in Soho-two lives lost" Nothing
was ever said publicly, however, as to the
suspicious nature of the occurrence.
AT later date, was enabled to ascer.
tain that Messrs. Reklams house and lis
contents had been insured to very large
amount. OF the early history of the
brothers, ! could learn nothing. The fire.
men made no secret of their opinion that
the fire was the result of design. The
flames, they said, had been seen to burst
simultaneously from three distinct parts'of
the house. Something also they did moi
hesitate to allege as to the employment OF
naptha or turpcntine to quicken the action
OF the fire. And they congratulated me-
as | congratulated myself, upon my almost
miraculous escape
No relatives Or representatives of the
brothers ever appea.e | to claim the amount
OF the insurance money. No one, indeed,
even venturcd to own kindred with the de.
parted Reklams. have often been told
that knew more about them than any
body else. Wen, did not know much:
but certainly, to my thinking, knew
enough.
Had any claim been made upon the poll
cies, | was informed that the officers were
fully prepared to resist it, simply on the
ground of fraud, and of this. as in too
many cases, there was held to be very
sufficient evidence. have exhausted,
however, all my information on the sub.
ject.