The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-10
six months imprisonment. They ali refused to
make any pledges looking to obeying the law in
the future.
AN INCENDIARY FIRE.
The Old Campaign Wigwam Burned Down.
and Adjoining Buildings Damaged.

The building known as the tOd WigwaEl,s
on Maryland street, was destroyed by fire last
night. The burning of the structure made
omewhat sensational blaze When the alarm
first came in some one started the cry along the
streets In the central part of the city that it was
the Dime Museum on fire, and there was frantic
rush toward the scene of the coniagration.
which was square southwest of the museum
building a crowd of several hundred was
attracted by the flames, and the streets in
the vicinity were densely thronged- The
alarm was first sounded shortly after 10 o'clock.
and was quickly followed by second alarm.
The flames were first noticed issuing from the
roof of the old wigwam, and, rs the building il
an old frame structure, il was all ablaze within
a few moments. The fire had made too much
progress before water could be thrown on ii to
give the firemen q chance to save the building.
and their work, therefore, was directed mainly
to preventing the destruction of the adjacent
houses. Not only was the wigwam en-
tirely destroyed, however, but the livery stable
owned by Matte Douglass and occupied by
Wilson d Splann, also partially wrecked
The residence of William Short adjoining shs
wigwam on the east fronting on Maryland
street was almost totally DESTROYED, involving
loss of 81 500. The family is absent from the
city, and the house was therefore unoccupied.
The first of the row of tenements adjoining the
Short residence, occupied by George Merkle was
also slightly burned.
The wigwam building was built by the Repub-
lican and Democratic committees during the
campaign of $780, and among other distinguished
individuals, Roscoe Conklin, James G.
Blaine, Senator Frye, of Maine
Sherman, of Ohio, Logan of Illinois,
Jones of Louisiana, General Franz Sigel and
others delivered speeches in it. Since that cam
paign the building has been owned by Peter
Reuter- the contractor, ana was for two years
occupied by Condo a Co. warehouse for the
storage of agricultural implements About one
a skating rink, and until few weeks ago was
1t has been unoccupied, and the fire was proba-
bly, the work of an incendiary. Routiers loss
of probably 81, 900 Is covered by insurance Mr..
Short carried an insurance of ST. 900 in the Gil
rard Company. and the stable was also insured
During the fire John Golfer, pipeman of en-
CINE company No. 3, was caught under q falling
beam, and was quite badly hurt The crowd
had pressed close to the burning building, and
In the fall of the ruins heavy beam was pre-
cipitated into the street A number of persons
narrowly escaped being caught under it, but
Golfer could not get out of the way, on account
of the crowd. He was struck across the right
supposed had been fatally injured. He was
Trade building, and his injuries were examined
by DR.. Featherstone who found that while he
had been badly injured and probably hurt in
ternally, he was not dangerously injured His
right ear was burned some and he suffered con-
siderable pain