Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-03
A BOLD INCENDIARY ATTEMPT.
Ferrells Restaurant Fired in Thr,s
Places, but the Flames Extinguishe,
with SliRht Damaee

Eerrells Restaurant Fired in Three
Places, but the Flames Extinguished
with Slight Damage.
A diabOlical attempt at incendiarism
was made early yesterday morning in W.
b. FerrelPs restaurant, No. 116}z BrOugh-
ton street, which, but for a timely dis
covery, would doubtless have involved the
loss OF great amount Of property. The
case is undergoing a rigid investigation
and the author Of the dastardly design
will be brought to justice if discOv-
cred. About . O'Clock gen.
tleman entered the restaurant and called
for cup of coffee. The night clerk, MIR.
Pacetti, ordered the coffee, and while it
was being prepared the gentleman dis
dOWs on the side Of the restaurant on fire.
With the assistance Of the clerk the fire
was eXtinguished, after having destroyed
the curtain and burned into the wood
castings on the sides Of the windows. At
the same time fire was discovered in
Habersham's barber shop on the
west side of the restaurant.
and upon investigation it was found that
the back door of the shop had been forced
open and a stove trap with a broken
Kerosene lamp, and pile OF paper and
wood saturated with Kerosene oil had
been placed against the wall and fired.
The flames had evidently just been started,
but were burning rapidly when discovered.
They were eXtinguished as quickly as
possible. About this time another fire
was discovered in the stOrerOOm OF the
restaurant, and was eXtinguished with
little difficulty, having just begun to
burn. A barrel OF oil stood near where
the ire had commenced, and the
oil was running over the floor
from the faucet, which had been opened
by the inGendiary. Papers and boxes
and cOmbustible material were scattered
over the floor, so that in q few min
utes the whole room would have been in
flames. As soon as the fire was ex-
tlnguished the police were notified and
Chief Fireman Fernandez was sent for and
made an examination of the premises.
The fire in the window was found to have
been started by paper saturated with kerC-
sene.
The whole dastardly scheme had evident
" been planned so that il would succeed
without any possibility Of discovery until
the ire was so far advanced that il would
be beyond control. 1t was thought that
during the time the clerk and the walters
were taking a nap the incendiary had en-
tered the back door Of the restaurant,
opening from the kitchen into Congress
street lane, and, seeing the waiter
asleep, slipped into the store-roOm
and turned the oil running and
then through into a yard opening from
the stOrerOOm and back of the barber shop,
forced the barber shop door, where the first
fire was started, then quickly fired the
curtain with a ball of paper, aud on 60
ing out through the stOrerOOm lighted the
oil upon the floor by taking a cigar box
and filling it with Goals from the kitchen
furnace aud, throwing 1t under the barrel,
and escaped by the back door iuto the lane.
The matter was reported to the insur-
ance representatives holding risks upon
the property, and an investigation was at
once commenced. The attempt, although
unsuccessful, was one Of the bOldest and
most daring incendiary plans on record.