The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-10-10

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men pass up the stress whom he rsxo<nized
a Caalsnias and Kemp.
Curtis GnoTe saw the descendants cToz the
street at the Somerset House a little after 10
oclock the night ofshe ere.
George :. MeClay, a young man from
Unlontovn, sxore that as he was going 10
his hotel the night Of the FIRE. about II
O'Clock. be saw a man come from the direc-
ton Of the Benford alley, PASSED within two
feet OF the man, and ~res8gnized squire Cum
Minis. Il was 4 dark night and the witness
was a strange in town. aad had only seen
Cammins once or twice before.
Jacob Cook testified to having heard three
men pass his house about midnight, also to
having examined the Somerset House stable
the night of the fire, to see If anyone was
sleeping on the NOW.
Theodore Kimmel testified that he slept
in the He.iey building. adjoining the build
ings burned
The testimony OF the detectives Cribs and
Carpenter was to same effect as in the hst
case.
The case on the part Of the defense was
opened By J r Scott Esq
After the defense bad made their for
mai opening they proceeded TO show By
twelve Of his neighbor that Jacob [ Brown,
who had testified TO threats made by Cum
mins while in the penitentiary, was IN
worthy OF belief
ThOs. Gamer, Ross Davis and others tessi-
fed to seeing cnnimins at the fire and to the
fact that be did good work In attempting TO
~extinguish the flames.
Several witnesses were called to contradict
statements made by the commemorative
witness, Mc6lay.
Wesley johnson, testified that the detect
i've Carpenter. bad told him that cummins
had never made any confessions to him in
the J~ohnstown lookup
Elmer Roberts swore that Carpenter told
him that Cummins had never told him any
thing shout the fires, and that he, Carpenter,
didn't believe they were guilty
Mrs. Gertrude Hall. a sister OF Cummins'
said Ed has been making his home with
me, was at hons the night Of the hire had
been at home early in heevening. and went
up street When painting he wears low
shoes with rubbers over them. He had been
sick, and came 10 me, and asked me for medi-
cine. bad often given him medicine be-
fore. I had finished my work and put my
children to bed and sat down 10 read be
tween ten and eleven 0 'cloek, not later tiian
eleven. am positive as to the hour. Ed.
came mp stairs asked him If he had lock
ed the door. He said he had be then vent
70 bed, on the west side Of the house, on the
md door. Saw him in bed l took a YES
sci 10 him after he had gone TO bed thinking
he Nigh. throw up. ! sat down and resumed
reading looked al clock at ii;0 read till
1918 Had gotten prepared for bed went
to my brother : door to ask hin how he felt;
saw that he was sleeping soundly. He
didnt speak Then | retired. I had scarcely
dozed When was aroused by the cry of ire.
Jumped up and ran to the window and
looked up street; saw a light; thought I
wouldn't waken Bud as he'd been sick. As
went toward his door to close il, 80 he
wouldn't bear the cry, he jumped up and
came running into my nom pulling on his
pants, saying my God, Cert, there's fire
again tried to keep him from going to
the fire because he was always 50 daring and
burned his clothes 20 badly and generally
got very little hanks Tor IT, He came back
the next morning after day light.
This defendant Kemp then took the stand
and swore that he had nothing to do with
setting Ere to the buildings named. He said
his home wasi in HarnedsyiIleand that he had
been engaged IN the nursery business. He
said he was addicted to getting on sprees and
that after ne took the first drink he was gone
till he got 50 sick he couldn't drink any
more. lie told Of bis whereabouts for days
before aud after the fire and said that the
night Of the Are be vert into the Somerset
House stable and crawled unicr some hay
on the nov and wen; to sleep. Was awak-
ened by the alarm Of fire and went to the
FIRE and worked to e~xtingnish the flames.
Edmund Cummins deaied that he had had
anything to do with firing the buildings or
that he had made any confession to the de-
iective Carpenter. Said he was ia town at
The time Of the fire had been doing some
painting around town, wore low quarterel
shoes wore over shoes with them. - keep
from slipping when painting HID been
drinking very little that night, Went 10
Bensords drug store to get a bottle Of pepper
mint or jamaica ginger; may have had gum
coat on was making a bargain with Tom
Gamer 10 sell him tina coat. May have been
in Youghts; went home between 10 and II
O'Clock and went to bed mag have been II
o'clock or after. Never saw McClay till
saw him sitting in witness chair wakened
up and heard the cry OF Gre and heard people
running past the house nut on pants, vest
and bat and went to fire worked till Ere
was under control. Never made any threats
to Jacob L. Brown; have no malice against
! General Cofroth and was on good terms
with him as far as l know.
A number Of witnesses were called in re-
buttal and sur-rebnttal after which the case
was marked closed.
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