Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-18
QUITE INTERESTING.
THE INVESTIGATION OF THE GOLD
BACK FIRE.
A Record of Fire and Seemingly
Suspicious Circumstances
Brought Out Before
the Board.

! of last October near O'Clock, fire was dis
covered in the barn of Mr.. Jacobs on Mort h
| Topeka avenue, in which was stored some
leather findings belonging to Mr.. Robert
'Goldback He had stored them there
stating that in a few months he would
move them to a building which he would
secure for factory. Three days before the
/ fire he procured insurance policies for
| &, COO and on the morning of the day on
which the fire occurred he secured another
policy for 81, go making the insurance in
all amount to $500. The policies were
taken in the Niagara, Northern Assurance
company, Fireman's fund and American
| Insurance company.
The fire was attended by the fire COM
panies and the contents in
/ the loft We're more seriously damaged
than those on the first floor. Soon after
the fire the insurance companies had their
special agents here, but a settlement of
loss was delayed owing to difficulty of pro-
curing from Mr.. Goldback satisfactory
| statement of the amount and value of
goods DESTROYED. In the meantime the
agents learned something ebout the matter
which caused them to look with a good deal
of suspicion on the origin of the fire. They
procured from Louisville, Kentucky, Mr..
| Goldback's former home, record of fires
which did not incline them towards credit
| ing all of Mr.. Goldback's claims
| The matter could not be settled satisfac-
| torily and the companies proposed an arbi-
| tration for the purpose of ascertaining the
| amount of loss, manifesting their willing
ness to pay. though with inward protests.
whatever it should clearly appear was the
| value of goods actually destroyed; the
companies having this right by contract
of policies. AS a result. Mr.. George NJ.
Dickson. George l.. Douglass and w. L..
| W. Miller were chosen as arbitrator.
They held short session Thursday eve
ming when Mr.. Berry, drayman gave in
| his evidence. He did some hauling for
| Mr.. Goldbach and testified concerning
the goods in the loft, which were mostly
destroyed. He said there was quantity
of shelving which filled one third of tine
| loft; six or eight boxes; a quantity of
wood butter dishes; large quantity of pa
per sacks; number of cans of OIL some
counters and boards used in the shop by
workmen, and two or three other packages
wrapped in paper.
Mr.. Goldback took the stand yesterday
morning and gave in testimony most of
| the day. He submitted a detailed state
ment of loss as he claims with value of
goods attached, claiming about $500 as
| the amount of damages and giving credit
| for 1914 goods saved from fire.
| He was cross-eXamined at length as to
goods that were put in the barn and stored
in the loft and goods saved. 1t seemed
that the goods on the first floor were little
damaged by fire but those in the loft de-
stroyed Mr. Goldback claimed that the
goods on the first floor of the building
were seriously damaged by being broken
open and contents scattered about.
Mr.. E. w. Moore, of Moore G. Osborn,
attorney for the insurance companies,
questioned Mr.. Goldback with reference to
previous fires in Louisville, his former
home. The plaintiff was asked if he had
not had three fires in Louisville within
two years previous to this one. Mr.. Gold
back decling to answer.
Did you not have fire about two years
ago in Louisville, the loss claimed on
which was paid by the companies
Goldback-I don't want to answer.
did you not have second fire in
January, 1887, in which loss was paid by
the companies and state whether
or not after the loss had been
paid the companies did not discover that
Just previous to the fire, which occurred
in the stable, you did not Lemove
quantity of goods to dwelling house,
which were claimed by you as lost or paid
for, or whether or not Immediately after
| the fire you did not convey from yonr
dwelling house the goods, which you had
previously brought from the stable, to
other places in night time, and state
whether or not the companies did not dis
cover in your house some of these goods,
and you refunded the money for those
found in your possession, and did not a
groceryman across the street from your
house call to you, telling you your barn
| was burning, and you replied, let her
| burn?'"
Mr.. Goldback still declined to answer.
did not your third fire originate under
stairway of building in
which you were located and state
whether or not this fire did not
originate from a ball of rags saturated
with grease, tar and water and other ma
terial so as to make il burn slowly, and
that about thirty or fifty minutes after
You had left the building the fire was dis
covered; and were. you not seen by boy
named Dave Bennett putting the ball of
rags under the stairway"
Mr.. Goldback again declined to answer.
He was also asked whether the butter
dishes stored in the barn on North Topeka
avenue were not saturated with some com
bustible material. causing them to ignite
when exposed to air
To this Mr. Goldback replied, mot that
know of He was also asked if he had
not day or two after the fire gone to the
stable and searched the debris for some time
and picked up ball of rags tightly wrap
ped with Irvine and enclose it in piece Of
canvass and conceal it among some rub
Dish.
To this the witness replied in the mega
tive.
Gordon g. Coffin, attorneys for the plain
tiff. ar the evening meeting of the board
produced Mr. Mcintosh As a witness
who is an employee of Mr.. Goldback, being
cutter He said it was impossible to tell
from ashes the kind of leather burned. As
proof he burned several kinds of leather in
the stove
Mr.. Goldback was again on the stand
and stated that he had been offered 1850
by the insurance companies and he had
asked them if they would give him s2f 900.
Mrs Williams, an elderly lady who lives
near the scene Of the fire, took the stand
and stated that on one occasion the chill
dren brought some OF the butter dishes
from the Goldback barn. and threw them
down on the kitchen floor. In about
! fifteen minutes they were afire
and could not possibly have caught
| FIRE from the stove in the room The eyi-
dence was most peculiar and all present
| seemed much interested in the statement
cod
/ of proof Of loss sent To one of the com
NAMES hr Mr. Gnldhack Il called for