The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-27
ADDITIONAL LOCAL.
FOUL PLAY
Attempt to Destroy the Books In the
Gas Office.
The Books Saturated With oil and
Set on Fire,
But Rescued From the Flames b,
the Police. Z

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s usSsA Nv. eto"N " s'ulua ttsae sVlse'
CTS aDont town were startled last night b
report that an attempt had been mad
10 DESTROY the hooks nj the oas office an,
40 ,ho 80. ,.",.aJ o.aS..sa .t.L "a -. -,
- 'e 'ep0f. s"4aeu ete0e'i'e ~ peSAn .sa
the thcme OF excited conversation IN 81
quarters. Quite q crowd assembled OF
l2th street in the v;cinitv NJ the paa ofF,co
onx,oms ~ oh,ain whS. intorroa.io,, n @ m, 80 ny
aN'ous no " oDN"ln mi'as ih'0ftna.ion wa
ailoat concerning the outrage, and the cit!
building was visited by many, in the hop,
that particulara might there be ohtaine,l
r. ~. 80 - =: sa.oIa.,,,.s..t - tS'sl ~.
~ was nos ions III aeVetoplng INTO y nrss
class sensation-which, IN Wheeling, likt
angels visits, are few and far between. o
course every morsel az intell;oenca NM,
~ N, a, 80 sfs'
s"e a's"p'o.olus 'ieine was easerly ue
voured, as Will also be all the details which
we propose 10 lay before our readers thi,
morning.
The rumor was not without foundation
About twenty minutes past nino O'Clock
Mr.. Thomas McNabb, while passing tft
gas office, noticed flames issuing from tht
back part OF the front room. Mr.. McNabt
ran to the city building and gave the
alarm, and found there Captain Portei
Smith and Officers Flynn and Short. The
latter sent in IN alarm from the box In the
Sergeant's office, calling out the depart.
ment, and accompanied by Flynn, went
Immediately To the gas Office, The front
door OF the gas Office Is double, and the
lower door was found partly open BY the
officers. Short and Flynn entered the
Office, and found that the flames were issr.
ing from pile OF books on the counter.
With great difficulty, and at considerable
risk, they succeeded IN extinguishinp the
flames, and saved the books in a damaged
condition. When the officers entered the
office they found the books standing on
their ends, wide open, on a marble coun.
ter between two desks where the gas
bills are paid. The leaves OF the books
had been freely saturated with carbon
oil, no doubt for the purpose OF making
them burn more rapidly, and gallon can
nearly full OF the Oh stood on the counter
in the midst Of the books. A .,fine silk
handkerchief, which had perhaps been
used TO wipe the hands Of the incendiary,
as 1t appears quite greasy, was also found
on the counter.
In the meanwhile the fire department
had arrived at the scene, and with the
Vigilant steamer came Mayor Sweeney.
who is generally among the first at A fire'
When His Honor was shown the evidences
ofincendiarism discovered BY the officers,
he at once ordered the books TO be taken
to the city building, and instructed the
officers to permit no one to tamper with
them. The books were accordingly re- re-.
moved TO the chamber OF the Second
Branch OF Council, where they were ex.
amined by the Mayor and several others
who had heard OF what was 90.
ing on, They were found TO con.
sist Of three register books. one
order book, one applicants book, two
entrance books, and recent book. ali re-.
lating to the business transacted at The gas
office during the past year. These books
were probably the most important in the
gas office; tho register books containing
the uames OF the gas consumers, and the
others valuable records. They were
found to have been damaged but slightly
with the exception of one Of the large reg.
istor books, which had perhaps fifty pages
burned to crisp. All the books were
singed by the flames, but their contents
were not materially damaged.
The books we're carefully wrapped IN
and deposited in the safe OF the Office Of
the Mcclure House for safe keeping, while
Mayor Sweeney and Sergeant Smith re.
turned to the pas ofFice and proceeded with
the investigation.
AS already stated, the front door
OF the office was found partially
open: The door in the rear was
closed, and a heavy iron bar across the
inside prevented ingress in that direc.
ton. It seemed clear, therefore, that the
party who had undertaken to destroy the
records at the gas office had entered by the
front door, which was fastened with a
Yale lock, and that he had opened the
door with key, and in his haste
to leave after getting his bonfire
under way had left the door but partially
closed. 4 light in the room in the rear
had been left burning. and in front light
Immediately over the Secretary's desk had
been turned down low. The door OF the
safe was slightly open, and the remainder
of the Secretaryfs books, consisting OF
ledger, journal, daybook, cash book, bank
book, check book, etc., were found in the
safe in good condition.
Mr.. Andrew King, an employe at tile
gas office, was present during the exam.
ination OF the premises, and the writer
had few moments conversation with
him in regard to the matter. When asked
il he knew Of any reason for destroying
the books, he replied none whatever. ex.
cept that 1t might be piece Of Wspite
work" He had nothing to do with
keeping the books, and knew moth.
ing about them; Mr.. Maxwell, the
Secretary of the Company, alone attended
to the bookkeeping. Mr.. King stated
also, that since the gas office had been
broken into by burglars, and the sale
prled open, about year and a half ago,
Mr.. Maxwell had been in the habit, when
making collections, Of depositing his
money in Mr.. Edmund Bookings safe.
They had not been in the habit Of looking
the safe, Rs no money was kept In 1t night,
The nil nan found on the nnuntar Mr.