Morris tribune., 1880-04-08

A. s. Foote, One of the Propriefurs of ne !,
La Crosse Democrat, Arrss<<n Ter sasli
tempting TO Burn the DemoeE4k HzElflpe
Also Charged With Forgsftss 81 His
FaIher-in-law. AEtF
La Crosse Chronicle.
La Crosse has been agog to-day, and excite
ment such not frequently occurs he-e or any
8. Foote, Junior msaRs<,--~--N.~zs- sneroy L
Fooe, editors and proprietors of Pomeroy's Demo
crat, on q charge of attempting to burn the Demo-
crat building by placing box OF paper containing
lighted candle in such place that when it burned
down to a certain point the paper would catch fire
aud communicate the flames TO the building.
Last evening the police were called upon not
particularly to their surprise, to effect the ar
rest Of A. s. Foote, proprietor of Pomeroy's
destroy by FIRE the building occupied by them
as printing office. The facts of the case are
follows, as gathered fir IN MIR. Huntsman, who made
the complaint, and Chief Of Police Hatch, who made
| the arrest: About hah-past O'Clock last evening
Mr.. Huntsman, managing editor of POmer0ys DEM
ocrdt, being in the Office later than nsua had occa
sisn to 60 from his apartment to the formerly
occupied by Mr.. Pomeroy as private apartment.
The usual entrance door he found himself unable to
open, and consequently went ground by the bath
room and water closet. In passing through this
room he discovered In q corner concealed from view
cigar box filled with paper and other combusnbles,
in the middle Of which lighted candle stood up
right. Mr.. Huntsman Is q calm and clear-headed
man, but his knees trembed and his head whirled at
this discovery NO person naQ access 10 thus por0n
of the building except himself and Mr.. Foote
There were outer windows, and when the candle,
which was timed to reach the paper IN
three or four hours, had burned low, and
the inevitable conhagration started there
possibility of discovery from outside until the
center Of the building was in blaze which all our fire
facilities would have failed to extnguish until it had
consumed the adjacent Opera house with all its valu-
able immoyable contents, and perhaps other property
near at hand. Mr.. Huntsman comprehended all this
as he gazed at the unique but most etfectual slow
match, which had been provided 70 do this destruc-
tive work. He then, without removing disturbing
the position of anything. extinguished thesSndi,
and sought Postmaster Charles Seymour, toShom the
startling story was told. Mr. Seymour ct okce COM
municated with Chief of Police Hatch, who upon
consultation with these two gentlemen, deemed that
ment to warrant the arrest Of Mr.. Foote on charka
| Of arson.
| It has been known for mSny months in this Office
that Mr.. Foote had been charged with forging the
| name Of his father-in-lav as an endorse
| ment upon certain notes, aggregating some
where from thru to fve thousand dollars,
which had been y I'd to pay bills incurred by the
Vincent is said to have fathered and will have pay
if he has not already paid them. But since the ar
rest of Mr.. Foote new forgeries have been deyel-
oped, are told, until the whole sum Of forged pa
per approaches, or may even exceed $4,000. The
last forgery of $2,500 is note barely month old,
and bank in this city is the victim. 1t is under
stood that the latest developments are of q nature
and If this Is true he will probably have hard chance
| for freedom. &
| The constables have been serving attachments on
Foote wherever they could ind anything that did NOT
belong to the postmaster, since the arrest most CT
| them being for employees to whom wages are due.