Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-11-07
NEWS.
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.
ROCK CREEK.

FIRE N Rock CREEK week ago
on Sunday morning last, about one
o'clock, Mr.. Eugene St. John, landlord Of
the Rock Creek Hotel, before retiring, took
a look about the rear Of his premises to
see that all was well, when he saw giim-
mer upon the glass in the rear of the cloth
ing store-Clayton Thompson's-a adjoining
the hotel, and at about the same time saw
person leave the store and pass into the
alley alongside, and at once went round to
head him off, when he came upon one, Da-
vid Phillips, of COnneaut-a boarder at
his house. The alarm was given, and the
door burst in and the fire put out 1t
was discovered that the floor and other
materials, about where the fire took, had
been saturated with burning fluid, and a
hole had been opened through the second
floor, directly over the spot where the fire
had been started, and burning fluid had
also been scattered about this opening.
The evidences of design were quite appar-
ent. Phillips was arrested and examined,
and the fact was brought out that he was
in possession of a key to the store. We are
not informed of the defence, but proba-
bic evidence seemed to warrant his being
required TO recognize for his appearance
at court for trial, and Mr. Thompson be-
came his surety. There is considerable
feeling over the matter in the public mind,
and the agent for the company in which
risk had been taken, cancelled the policy
for 81 200 upon the stock of Mr.. Thomp-
son. The building in which this fire had
thus been started is one of a block OF some
half dozen old wooden buildings, and ad
Joined the hotel. All must have been con-
sumed in the absence of water and fire de-
partment, had the fire been undiscovered
for a few minutes longer.
Phillips is painter and did some let
tering for Thompson and Others, using
the back part of Thompson's store as his
shop, in which to keep his materials.
A correspondent, whose letter came to
hand after the above was in type, says:
''Phillips was seen coming from near
the direction of where the fire was discover
ed, not more than three or four minutes
before the discovery. and hurriedly went
into the hotel, finding and going to bed in
different room from the one he had be-
fore occupied. When arrested, he said
that he went to bed about eleven o'clock,
when the facts were, it was few minutes
past one, and on being cross examined, be
failed to give any account Of where he
was for about an hour before the fire was
discovered. He had in his possession,
when arrested, key to the room oyer the
store where he had been doing some paint
ing, and there was access from this room
to the store room. These and other facts
links Of vidence-inGuced ESQ. HOyt to
bind him over in the sum of $500.
Several weeks since, this same store was
found one morning broken open, and pre-
parations had been made to burn the
store, and clothing was reported to be
missing.
Braden & Co., report that they have tax
Ell in over 1,5O0 bushels of hickory nuts
and IA tons Of dried apples. Never be-
fore has there been as many goods sold
of a season, from that store, as the past
one.
All our teachers made visit to the Ge-
neva schools last week