The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-01-25
THE NEwHALL HOUSE HORROR.

THE AEMHALL HOUSE HUkhURs
Arrest of George ScheIIer. Lessee of the |
NewhaH House Bar-roOm, Charge
of Having Set FiretO the Hotel Through
Spite.
George Scheller, proprietor of the Newhall
House bar, was arrested at one o'clock this
afternoon on a warrant sworn out by Officer
Hannifin charging him with setting the fire
which destroyed the Newhall House Wednes-
day morning. The arrest was made by Lieu
tenant Jansen and Officer Hannifin, in Roths
. quiet house, cOrnor of Mason street and
Broadway. Scheller did not seem very much
surprised, AMI made no statement. He looked
pretty badly broken up. He has been drink
ing heavily since the fire, and his face shows
the effects of the spree. The prisoner was
locked up on the charge of ''arson,' and was
Immediately transfer ed to the county Jail,
where he was locked up in upper CELL He
did not speak to the JaileF. The officers are
very reticent about the details of the arrest
1t is reported that Scheller was arrested prin-
cipally on the statement of Linehan and
another emplOye, who claim that they
ScheIler in the wood-rOOm, where Linehan says
the fire originated, and that he there after
three o'clock a. m. Application was made at
the Sherif's Office for an opportunity to talk
with the prisoner, which was refused.
District-Attorney Clark also refused to let
any one see SchelIer his excuse being that he
is afraid an attempt will be made to lynch him.
The warrant sworn out by Detective Hanni-
fin reads:
John Hannifin, being duly sworn. complains
to ths Mum cipal Court of Milwaukee county
tina George scheller alias, on the 10th day OF
January, a. D., 1888, at the said city of MI
Waukee, in said county, at about the hour or
three clock of the nighttime of that day,
then and there, with force and arms, certain
dwellng-hOuse there situated known rs the
Newhlll HOu e, of which he, the alb we Il 3med
George Scheller alias was there and then the
tenant, then and there feIoniously, wilIfully
and maliClOuSlV q q set fire to the said house.
then and by the kindling of such fine did
feI-niousIy, wiIIfuIIv and maIic iously burn and
consume, cJntr Ty to the statute in such case
made and provided, and against the peace and
dignity Of the state OF Wisconsin, as said de-
pOnent verify believes, and prays that the said
George SchelIer (alias) may be arrested and
dealt with according to the law"
Linehan, engineer of the NewhalI House, is
out of his room to-day. He states that the va
rious tales about the fire originating in the sec
ond or third stories is all bOsh, let people say
what they will. Linehan, when the announces
ment of the fire was made, went into the wood
room in the basement, and there found pile
of wood burning in a corner The brick walls
were blackened, which was caused by the
burning against it some time, may be seen
at present, and that there was no other fire
above or below nor in any other part of the
room. The smoke was ascending through the
floors above and spreading throughout the
building.
In further proof that the fire originated in
! that very spot where it was found burning
| brightly by the engineer, there can be found
no other blackened wall from the same
! other cause in any part Of the basement or
] elsewhere.
| torch, no matter what he may think concern
! ing it, but he does not hesitate to say that
! that fire never came thee by accident" as
! there was n fire anywhere near, and there
! was no possibility of il originating by cOmbus-
! tion. and consequently the conclusion is In
| the n 9 ht struck the fatal match-in the in
! teIest of some one else, perhaps, but to the
| horrible 10 s of hundreds-and then crept to
! his retreat to avoid his damnable reward.
| ScheIler was spoken to shortly before his
rest. He told that there some talk of
| a warrant being out for his arrest The news
startled him, and he said that such surely
/ could not be the case u would rather drop
! dead than to be so accused" he said, and if
! his appearance had anything to do with the
matter he was telling the truth
There was talk that Scheller had set his
! house on fire at Nor Point, which burned
two years ago. 1t was afterwards clearly
! proven that he was not at home at the time of
| the fire. Scheller has always borne a good
| reputation, but his unfortunate connection
| with the dSr 'putable MaSCOttC saloon on Mar
| ket street caused many people to lose respect
| for him. He ran saloon place of low repute,
| contrary to the wishes of all his friends, as
| ell as everybody in the vicinity of where it
| is located. Scheller is about thirty-three years
| old, and has small family
! Tonight messengers reported at the
| Sherif's Office that excited knots were on the
| streets, with talk of lynching it is feared
| there viii be trouble when it becomes gener-
! ally known that Scheller is in custody on the
| awful charge, and the police and Sheriffs are
! prepared to defend him to the last. An extra
| guard will be kept at tn jail all ght.
Scheller has been in fin,ncial straits of late.
! An attempt made last Friday to raise $500 on
| a ehattel mortgage from Charles SchOles, the.
| gambler failed. The liquOr-dealer who fur
II shed the barrOOm holds a note of 500
against Scheller which he offers for ten
| cents.
The afternoon before the fire. when ScheIler
| was intoxicated, Landlord Antisdel gave him
a talking to, warning him to mend his ways.
! Scheller was afterwards talked to by Tice
| chief clerk of the hotel, and lett in high dud-
| geOu, proceeding on regular carOuse. He
| claims having left the bar-rOom in he hotel at
! 1870 a. m. the morning of the ire, but con
! elusive evidence has been secured to show
that he was out until $3.50 a. m.-half an hour
| before the fire-with viii SandersOn, of Ed
| ward SandersOu g. Co, Tom Dunbar, of the
| Milwaukee Driving Park, and Joe Henderer, "a
salOonist under the gambling den of Sholes
| and Newbauer-
The feeling is intense, but great many
! people who know SchelIer will declare he is
not capable of the deed.