The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1888-08-18
TIE RECENT FIRE.

/ nc eGct1UtuuGy "C
! Evidence and Statement Of ). w.
Saunders. lie is Put Under
$4,000 Bond.
| An invcsti CATION into tn cause OF the re-
cont fine was begun before Judge Richard
So. ssast- Monday and terminated Wcdncs-
day. A largo Canber Of Witnesses were
! examined and the evidence pointed to s.
w. Saunders, the owner Of Tie hailling in
| which the fire originated and one OF the
woaithicst merchants Of the city, as the par
ty who fired tho building and was suili-
GENTLY strong to warrant Judge Richard
sol. i'll placing him under bond of 80, 600
for his appearance 20 answer to tho charge
ut the ne xt term of the court. The bond was
promptly given with Messrs. II. and S.
Meyer as surities. The testimony Of tho
principal witnesses is as follows:
VIM. A. O'Kelly sworn says; l live in
tho city of Monroe at ''t'!ve Points" l am
in a commercial business there. 1 was at
my place Of business there on Friday last
There was fire at Five Points last Friday.
1t started about a hundred yards from my
place of business in al old two story build
ing belonging to S. W. Saunders. \ man
was sleeping in the house. 1 didn't hear
of more than ono mani sleeping there. His
name was John stephens. He had boon
sleeping there month more. The fire
started half past three or four o'clock.
Tho first hoard of the fire heard several
persons halfoo fire. l was then at Hook
inc and when l came out the two-story
house was on fire and the two-story build
ing of O'Dea's. The flames were coming
our of the two-story building. had been
there since about ono o'clock: That must
have been fifteen or twenty minutes before
the alarm OF fire was given. saw >. w.
Saunders ride up and hitch his horse and
go into the front door. l think there were
1r.l
main building and the other led up stairs
without coming out into the street. 1 didn't
see Saunders como out. went back TO
Heekin's. l didn't SEQ him any more until
after the fro. The fire was all up stairs. l
heard there was an effort mad Q to enter the
building. did not sec any. shut my
house and went to help other parties move
out of tho next building. Mr.. Hudgns
lived on the cast side and Mr.. O'Dca on tho
west side of the place whom tho fire started.
Mr.. IIudgins was nos in business. think
ten houses and cabins were burned. Mr..
John Bonar's. tho house Mr.. uudgins lived
in, tho Hall and tho O'Dca houses, tho two
next to O'Dea's tho Gerspach house, the
house occupied by Hang and tho McGinnis
know tho estimated loss by this fro by
what saw in the newspapers. think
they put it ut 5000 loss with $500 insu-
rance. afterwards learned that there was
or the loss.
Question-Do you know of any other fact
that would assist 1he court i'll ascortaining
the source of tho fire?
Answer-OHly that there was another ire
there the night before. MIR. Hughes house
was fired. II was coal oiled in front and
set on tho outside. MIR. lIudgins ran par
ty out'of the house tho day before tho fire of
tho 10th: Witness designated ona diagram
drawn by him the owners of the property
burned.
Miss Edwards sworn says: l live in
Monroe. Mr. Hudgius is my stcr-iathcr.
lived III the adjoining building TO tho one
that caught ii ~ on tho 10th. He lived on
tho east side. l was at homo when the
house caught fire. did not sec the fire be-
fore the alarm WAS given. saw some one
go into tho building that caught on fro.
1t was Mr.. Saunders. saw him whom he
hitched his horse and entered the building.
him turn tho key to lock the door That
was about fifteen minutes before l heard
the alarm of fro. l had no conversation
with him. Thore was gentleman rooming
in the house adjoining the house that
caught fire. l don't think boys have been
accustomed to going into that building
since wo have been living there. We have
been living there n month. The building
ono we lived i'll and no fence between.
Larney Henderson sworn says: live in
Monroe and work for Mr.. O'Dea. | was II,
his place of business when the fro broke
out. / fist saw it coming out of the win
dows up stairs. That was about tho time
they haslooed fire. 1 saw it coming out of
of the house. / could not soc any fire any
where else on the house. That was up
stairs. l suppose that was about three or
four O'Clock. ! didn't see anybody 20 into
the building. ] saw Mr.. Saunders come
ont of tho building. / saw him about fiji.
Teen minutes before the alarm Of fire was
was made. ] don't know what part OF the
house he went in. lie was coming out
when I saw him. / don't know OF any
bows loatiug in that building playing cards
&c ! have been working for Nj. O'Dca
about five months. Mr.. Saunders didn't
saw ANYTHING when he went out. lie pull
| ed the door TO. I dong know whether the
house was kept locked or not. never saw
| 1t standing open, never heard any talk
| ing in the house or any walking. lie was
! Just coming out OF tic door when ! went
into Mr.. O'DeaM 1 don't know what
direct ion he went OF. l didn't see him go
| of.
! Richard FuIlam, Jr., sworn says: l live
| in The eastern portion OF The city of Mon
| roe. | lived i'll the district consumed by
| tho fire last Friday. / was in that neigh.
borhood, at Mr.. ieekin's, when the fire
| broke ont. suppose that is $50 feet from
when the fire broke out My attention
was first attracted to the fire by some one
holloing fire. When first saw it the fire
and smoke were coming out the back win
dow up stairs. There was no fire iii tn,
front portion of the building up stairs o
down stairs. I went into tho building
= The doors were not locked. The door &