St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-21
The Moorhead News Damaged by Fire and
Water : Strong Evidences Of
Incendiarism.
Decisions of the Supreme Court of Dakota
The Black Hills Mining Case
Appealed.
Destructive Forest Fires Near Deer
wood--Sad Case of Destitutton
at Eau Claire.
News from Various Points in the
Northwest Cleaned by Globe
Correspondents.
A Moorhead Fire.

Special to the Globe.
MooRHEAD, May 20.-About O'Clock
there was confusion in Bergqulst oulloils
at the cry of fire" George Clapp states
that he was awakened by persons running
through the hall past his room III the sec
ond story of the building. He went out
into the hall. where he saw John u. berg
0uist. Clapp at once awoke j. ,. BEL.
Word was sent to firemen and the nose
cart was soon on the ground. They hrSt
thought the fire was in the News once ana
they burst open the windows and doors on
the east side of the basement ana In
twinkling had stream OF water playing
nnon the office. which was well drenched.
They then discovered that the fire. was not
in the News office but in Bergquists grocery.
The first fire was located in the floor OF
Bergouist's store about twenty feet from
the rear of the building and Immediately
over the News cylinder press. quite
large hole was burned in the Hoor. Inc
only direct damage by flames was IN the
News Office but large amount OF damage
was done to presses and stock. A eonsld-
cradle amount of type was pied. In the
general melee and work of the fremen, ma
terial swept on the floor became lhlAeu Ill
mud and general ruin
A SECOND OUIBhEAh Or rlhr1
was discovered in the front part Of the
attic of the building. Firemen found a
door leading to the attic from the main hall,
the only entrance, locked. Fireman Swan
son broke the door in and went up the
steps, where he found a bright blaze pro-
ceeding from a pile of rubbish. He ran
down and, others helping, got buckets Of
water and hand grenadeS and threw them
on tho Hamoo II xvaS CoOn fOund that
the flames proceeded from beer keg, upon
which were piled feather pillows. Near by
was quantity of blankets and bed quilts.
The blazing key was tossed into the street
and the fire was luckily subdued. Many
first upon the scene Of the attic blaze state
that there was
A SMELL OF KEROSENE.
Others say the beer keg was smeared with
tar. When the fires were put out the fire
men went away, supposing there was no
more fire, but they had not been gone long
before it was found that door leading to
small back room, centrally located in the
building. second story, was hot. The room
was shut I'D. with the door locked and
windows down. The door was burst open
and the firemen called back. They
found that there was brisk
blaze in the closet of the
inner room, a two-gallon jug of kerosene
being on fire. This fire was most difficult
to subdue 1t had burst through the upper
floor, communicating with the hall, which
carried the flames upwards. 1t took del
uge of water to quench the fire, which
spread under the floor and between the
walls, rendering considerable chopping,
tearing up of floors and breaking down OF
walls necessary, At last the fire was sub
10 A1n Forts of fha
fremen. It is due to the fire department
to say that had it not been for their
promptness and extraordinary efforts
Bergquest building would now be a heap
of smouldering ruins. There is unmistak-
able
EVIDENCE OF INCENDIAYISM.
1t is alleged that $4,000 additional in
surance was written Oh December 81, all
payable to Bergquest himself. The follow
ing is the insurance /on the building aside
from what may have been recently written
by Burnham, Wells & TillotSon, all pay
able to mortgages.
Connecticut. 500
Spr1ng11eld. H,0UU
ORIENT. |,ouU
w Western. ....................-. I,uuU
w 6llcOm6 & T0rley have Tie lOlOWIuS
on stock: BergQuist's stock of groceries;
Continental, $1,000: Home New York.
$1,000; German, New York, $500. Daven-
port has on stock and fixtures: Phoenix,
Brooklyn, $1,000. Burnham, Mills & Til
lotson, on stock: Pennsylvania, $500.
Total, 81, 900.
Welcome & Perley carry for J. J. Bell
on stock and fixtures, $1,000 in Washing
ton; another company has total of 50. 900.
Davenport carries for P. Hanson $4,000
on clothing.
On News office contents there is an in
surance of So. 900, divided between North
western, National and New York Under
writer's agency. The News is badly Grip
pied, but not killed The paper and job
stock was badly damaged, to what extent
cannot as yet be told. All rollers and
presses are ruined and quantities of type