, 1874-12-22
HALSTED STREET FIRE.

IALSTED STREET FIRE.
Arrest OF the Allegdd anccndinry-Tho
Facts In the CnBc.
In yesterdays TRIBUNE thcro appeared briot
account Of tho fro at Dike'a grocery, cornor Of
lInlstcd mud Monroe streets, and tho arrost OF
Horny r. Kopro, young man who standa
accasod Of having fired tho building. An in.
vostlgation Of tho prenBos RhowB ono Of tic
most diabolical atto,npts ever mado in this city
to causo q disnstroun fire. .and tho evidence thua
fnr Developed points very strongly to tho accused
~ tho ono who is guilty. Of tho act. The prompt
nosa OF
| Mr.. HIRAM AatIcK,
the Secretary oi the FhU Department, rho happen
cd to DO ragsfng Mt tho time, undoubtedly savotl
Dcvoral structures from total destruction, and
prevented the danger to tho alroping inmatoa.
Ile saw tho smoko iss1ling from the building,
aud ran quickly to tho Eox at tho corner OF HAL
| atcd and Madison Streets No. 31o. and gayo
lilo alarm, to which tlu, engines responded In
four minutes, and 1uonclled tho fro. as was Bup-
posed, shortly aftorwarl But the fire shoulder
cd On tho north BiIu OF tho building botweon
tho planter md siding, and another alarm was
given, which brought tho !lremen back. After
unothcr stream was put II. play tho tire was on
! sirely put out.
THE STORE
ia double one situated a1, the southwest corncr
of tile streets above indicalol in two old two
story fratno ntructlros, ;und whs etockcd with
goolla. Mr.. Ditto has boon It's proprietor for n
number Of years. md hna bnilt up louriBlnS
trade. About two yoRrsn.so lio hired Kopppe M
bocalno convinced tint In was moi desirable
person 10 layo about, and u couple
Of months ngo discharged him. -Four
weeks ngo tho Htoro wan not on fro
II utr{tt ri
which thero was no insurance: Alr. D!he put Lis
place in order again. Kopl't. had previously
OPENED RIVAL GROCERY
at No. 0G South lln!htod Htr0st, ahal block north
borhootl trade, and wIlcn DiEc's store was buried
heard to remark t'lat hat gontlnunan's loas
would 10 Ais gan Or Hol1othing to thai effect.
Whom Dike's storo was .s,t OIL lro tho first
timo thoro wore found on tho broken cdses Of
windov-pane through Witch tho incond'ary
gained .cntrapco, blood ntainu, and. koppo
hsvo have ono Of Lis hands bound up. It Il
VIVA rumorod about tho vicinity that tho now
competitor had vet Diko's ls;tco on Gre. aud
koppo shortly aftcrward commenced an action
a:alust Diko for alleged
DE sAMArloN or CHARACTER
in making the assertion that Ae had fired hin
store, a,it placed tho tamag IS at tho mudost
figure Of 0,U2o. THO auit ID still pending.
About 1l;4D o'clock Sunday utglt OAlcer Dan
Hogan, Of the Madison Street Station, one Of
tho 1nost netiye and yigi!sus msn OH the force,
patrolod slowly past Dikc's storo, aud snw no
from Halstod street into Adams than ths alarm
was given, and ho ra, back to tligcnyur n
dcnHo volume Of thick, black Hmoko issuing from
DIko's store. wt4lio tho air was Gllod with tho
Ditto in tho confusion OF tho FIRE. and. after on
anining tile store and consulting him, decided
to ludaud
ARREST KorpE
viewed. aud informed Hogan that tile young
man was standing near hia {iuppo'B) store,
with tho watehmnn Entl another l>otBon, when
the nlar1n was gwen. Tho two latsnr said onBu-
nl,y ly. whom tue alarm was given by tho bells,
piled, "1tb at Diko's Btoro. and at tho moment
thero wore np outward Bigns OF tho fro obHorv-
ablo from Tue spot whcre shev utood. koppo wns
found un 1IAlsted street, near tho Academy, aud
when arrested by Hogan ho asked leasc to 10 to
bis store, which WIZ granted lilo sont to doslt,
aud taking a half-ahect OF noto paper OIL which
was somo writing, toro it mp in five or six strips.
Hogan pickod up tho fragmontg and aftOr pine
ing the young 1nan in the station, iotnod tho1u
intended Tor Diko. bit boaripg no atldroHs nor
Signature. Tie priaonor, it Was noticed by tho
officer, had
a sTnoSn satEL14 or KEROSENE
about hja person. and ho via ordered
to change his pantaloons. which ho re-
luctauty did. Tho lower PORTIONS Of both
log1 Of the garment wero fouud to
havo boon saturated with Koronenn- Tho
brooches wero quite now. nnd had bocn hut littlo
in uso. On his ycat-a now black diagonal was
daub Of now p'astor-finiKh. and hin hat also
horo 1narts Of plastor hight horo it must bo
stated that in ono coriior OF Dko's stolo WAS q
large tin kerosene oil;tapk, with patont pump
nt.aclIed. This had boon placed i'll operation
Just previous 10 tho fire by tho sncendiaiy, and
tho lnEatntuablo liquid nquirted over tho walls
ceilings, Aoor, and shoivoa i'll the most reckless
nsanuoy. Tho whole apartment WAS drenohod In
coal OIL Nov. tl'o person WHO operated tho pump
may haro spilled some OF tho oil Oh his Enr-
monts. uud the police officers ant otllols say
thoy bollovo TINT Kopne ,waB tho indlvidunl,
from Tho fact that ho had oil on lis pnutaloonA.
Tho fro burned bsskly around the oil tank,
when tho inconliary applied the match to tho
wol.laid kindllng, mud tho smoke and lame
which noon followed woro 80 dense for n short
tmo NJ to mako it difficult for tho fromon to en-
ter tho place. ..
Then. again, Mr. Dikc had lad aono
NEW PLASTER
lately pu! llis waila Tho oil.tanls, nnd tie
a.noared vest and Int Of Hoppe givu further evil
donco Tint he may have beeu in tho s.oro OF his
Adjoining the partially burned grocery arc
number Of franc strlcturca.-ln fact, tho whole
d!strict Ia q wooden ono,-and thoro wero many
paoplo sound aHleop in cloHo proximity to tho
fra whose lives were in inlminont danger.
koppu was visited by I'll attortluy yesterday
and now declines to make any stntntnnnl rolarl-
ing tho fro aud tia troub!eH with Diko lie IL OF
English birth, unmarriol, and 90 Year,, old. llo
tho best style. lilo il A.ili confined in Madison
Street Station, anl will Lo examined in day or
two.
Mr.. Dil;e'a total loss Sunday night was $500,
and bis insurance was 81 QUO III tho dtobo OF
Toronto.
4 Gcorga Pont,nistress Ho1no time piuco wrote
TO tho Post. olico Department asking to bo ro-