Daily globe., 1883-10-30

last. a fire was discovered in a one-story
frame building on the corner of St Peter
and Ninth streets, owned by Jacob Stoltz,
and occupied bys Frederick Bulov
with stock of tailoring
goods belonging to Lewis Gross,
of Saltwater. Suspicious circumstances
connected with the burning of the build
ing, brought to light the next morning,
led to careful examination of the prem
ises by Chief Rlack of the fire department,
and the arrest of Bulov on charge of in
cendiarism. Bulov wBs examined before
Judge Burr and held to the grand jury in
the sum of $1,000, in default of which be
was committed TO jail, where
he has remained up TO date. The late
grand jury found true bill against him
and his trial came on before Judge Wilkin
yesterday morning at 10 O'Clock, County
Attorney Egan appearing for the state,
Erwin Bryant 81 Ives for the prisoner.
After an hour spent in empanelling jury
the following were sworn in as jurors:
E. NJ. Bacon, Wm. w. Campbell, Geo. Il.
Colby, Jos. Il. Bohrer, James FL. Began,
Wm. E. Bell, jas. Barthold, Wm. R. Allen,
ChRs. w. Clark, Jas. Z. Cooper, Chris
Brandt, Henry BelIan.
The following testimony was elected:
JOHN 7. BLACK.
Am chief of the fire department.; was at
the fire on the morning of the 9th of June;
fire occurred about y o'clock midnight;
the building is located corner Of Ninth
and St. Peter streets; it is one story
frame building, partition in the rear; 1
reached the fire very quickly after the first
alarm; it was burning br1skiy; supposed it
was grocery store; directed the streams
of water so as to put the fire out, one IN
the front and one in the rear; fire was SO
hot I couldn't enter room; the fire was put
out in six or eight minutes
after the steamers got to work; saw de-
fendant; he was dressed; had all his
clothes on except hat; saw him in the
back room; inquired who was the owner;
asked if he knew how the fire started; took
me to the front part Of the store and
showed me; the front part was all burned
out; did not see any lamp; found no oil;
did not find any broken glass of lamp;
hunted on the floor but found none. The
defendant said he thought there were
burglars trying to get IN, and he
was SO scared he dropped the
lamp which exploded and caused
the fire; said be had been abed; saw q
mattress in the room, found only two bolts
Of cloth; found cotton batting on the floor;
(pieces of cloth and batting were shown to
witness which he identified as the sams he
took from the building). These were
taken from between the folds of the bat
ting They were wet and saturated with
kerosene oil; I picked them up about ten
feet from where he claims to have dropped
the lamp. They smelled of oil
SO strong that saved them
Inquired where the goods lay; said on
ths right side; hunted for them, bat found
not an article. He said the goods had
about $1,000 insurance on them. Again
asked where the goods ley, and he said on
the left. The fire was out SO could enter
ths room in about five minutes.
Cross examination: When l went to the
fire 1 went up Washington street; dis
mounted between Seventh and Ninth
streets; the engines were laid out, bat
had not got water; flames were
coming out at the front; directed two
streams to be THROWING ,one in front and ane
in the rear. They were ordinary streams,
throwing about hundred gallons each,
sufficient force to knock man down. I
never was in the store before, and know
nothing OF its contents, except as told by
the defendant. Found the defendant
in about ten minutes-he
was fully dressed except his hat. Asked
him if he was the proprietor, said he was
the foreman; he was SO scared by
burglars and so excited he
dropped the lamp; showed me
when the lamp was dropped, but found no
lamp glass; looked for evidence of kero-
sene ou the floor; looked in the goods
picked up for oil, found these in the center
of batting and bolts of cloth; they were
saturated with oil; smelled kerosene when
the building was burning; I looked on both
sides for goods; have no idea how much
$1,000 worth of tailor's goods would ;the
defendant was arrested by the police de-
partment; looked around some time for
broken glass; there was not much steam or
smoke, hut had to look with a lantern;
think there was stove in the room, but
am not ceftain-a sheet iron stove; found
no tailor's geese or scissors or wood on the
floor.
HENRY F. WOOD.
Am employed IN the insurance oncS or
the st. Paul Fire and Marine; was at the
fire about fifteen minutes after water was
put on. Saw the defendant; he was stand
ing across the street; he had no hat on,
but was fully dressed with that exception;
he told me he was asleep-thought he
heard burglars; went out to front room
and dropped the lamp out of his hand.
/ examined the floor; smelled
kerosene. Said be dropped
the lamp out there; smelled
oil. The defendant said he had saved no
gcols; he couldl't tell how much there
was in the store; he went out to show the
chief where he had dropped the lamp, and
looked on the floor for goods; found cot
ton; (the witness here showed some cotton
which was saturated with oil, which he
kept in tin can sealedl; found this ten
feet from where lamp was dropped. 1t
was saturated with oil and 1 tore off this
piece. lie said he didn't know how much it
was insured for, and 1 didn't ask for l
knew
Gross examined: The bolt of cloth was
rolled in the ordinary form, around Il
piece of board; can't tell how many times
it was wrapped aroand; should judge the
cloth was flannel, but don't know of the
quality of goods. The cloth has a smell