Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-10

but also, as I judged, with alarm and
aversion. He was in state of extreme
agitation.
Il never dressed so quickly IN my
| life" he said, in tremulous voice, and
! he rubbed his hands together nervouslv.
| He was bareheaded-I could note by the
| light of the flames his partial badness;
| but his attire was complete in other re-
spects, even to the neat adjustment OF
his shirt-collar and neckerchief I could
not doubt that he had never undressed at
all
He turned his cleaning eyes full upon
me; his gaze seemed to me more baneful
and maleticent than ever. For a mo-
ment l 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.
: It was an accident; though it broke
| out IN two or three places at once. |
can't think how it happened" And again
he glared at me.
asked
q cannot tell" said family.
. 1t will be the ruin of me-of the firm
the complete ruin"
You're not insured?"
Yes, we're insured, but not for the
fie"
And your brother-Mr. Nathan-is
he safe?"
9 He was, a moment ago. But he went
back; ] told him there was plenty of time
to save some documents of value"
And he's not been seen sincps"
mo, not since. But it was only a
moment ago. He's all right. Nathan
knows what he's aboutr'
The horrid truth then burst upon me.
The place had been set on fire for the
sake OF the insurance money, and | had
been decoyed to be lodger, and de-
stroyed, in order to give color to the
proceeding While this passed through
my mind Nathan Reklam made his an
pearance at the open private door, With
a wild cry Aaron rushed toward him, and
shut 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
f1remen were forced to retreat.
The outer wall of the house had fallen.
L
found, as | afterward learned, stretched
senseless upon the wet roadway, and
was carried upon the shoulders of
friendly bystanders to a neighboring
tavern. There / remained some DAYS in
an alarming condition of exhaustion and
delirium
The Brothers Reklam were not again
seen alive. 1t was generally agreed that
they had both persisted in the FIRE of
their own neutrality-suspicious. had
Overtaken them in terrible way. No
trace of them was ever discovered in
the ruins of the building. Nor were any
relics found of the treasures that had
once filed their premises to overlooking.
My own belief was, and is, that these
had been carefully and stealthily re-
moved some time before the fire broke
out
Brief paragraphs in the newspapers
Were devoted to the Serious Conflagra-
ton in Soho-TwO Lives Lost" Moth
! ing was ever said publicly, however, as
to the suspicious nature of the occur
renee.
At later date was able to ascertain
that Messrs. Reklam's house and its
! contents had been insured to very
| large amount. Of the early history of
| the brothers l could learn nothing. The
| tiremen made no secret Of their opinion
! that the fire was the result Of design.
The flames, they said, had beer seen to
| burst forth simultaneously from three
distinct parts of the house. Something
! also they did not hesitate to allege as to
the employmento of naphtha or turpentine
to quicken the action of the fire. And
they congratulated me, as l congratu-
lated myself, upon my almost miraculous
escape.
No relatives or representatives of the
brothers ever appeared to claim the
| amount of the insurance money. No
one, indeed, even ventured to own kin
dred with the departed Reklams. l have
often been told that l knew more about
them than anybody else. Well, | did not
know much; but certainly, to my think
| ing, | know enough.
| Had any claim been made upon the
policies, l was informed that the offices
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 l have exhausted,
however all my information on the sub
! iect.-Chdn5erS' J0urRGE