The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-21

Another Attempt to Bum . Vacant
Building Discovered Other INSTANCES

Building UscoveredVOther Instances
There is nothing, scarcely, that strikes
terror to the soul Of man, be his occupa-
ton what it may, or to the heart of some
mother who has her darling children
snugly tucked in their little beds, enjoy
ing the sweet sleep of the pure and limo
cent, after, mayhap, walking long way
and bordering over tedious studies at
school, to suddenly awake amid confusion
during the dark hours of midnight and
hear the dolefuI sound of the fire alarm
as it tolls out with quick. rapid strokes
the purpose for which il was intended,
and an occasional shout of fire. fire..-the
second louder than the first-as excited
men who Push by with headlong speed
to the scene of disaster.
A reporter yesterday who was standing
quietly on Reid street conversing with
two gentleman was accosted by well
known citizen. who CHANGED to pass by, in
this manner: ..You are the very man
have been looking for" and this gentle
man went on to relate that night before
last an incendiary had endeavored to set
in flames a dwelling in the northwestern
portion of the city. The reporter. in
company with the gentleman, immedi-
ately set forth to the spot indicated and
an investigation resulted as follows:
1t appears that one of the two little
cottages on Madison street, near the cor
ner of Fourth, had lately been rented by
Mr.. George Scanlin, car inspector of the
Florida Southern Railway, and his
brother, VINO is also an employee of the
same road, from Mrs. Maria F. Dean,
wife of Mr. Joseph F. Dean
The Messrs. Scanlin, who are expect
ing their mother here shortly, for whom
they had rented the building, had as vet
| moved but n very few articles into the
house and as a consequence were not &C.
cupying it at the time of the incen iiary
immediate locality.
Mr.. Scanlin, on returning yesterday
| from dinner. STOPPED as usual to take a
look over the premises, that he might
see that all was well, when his attention
was drawn to the gate that had been
unhitched and cast To one side, probably
to secure rapid and easy exit by the
culprit. He was quickly aroused and
fastened in to find on the back porch
/ close up against one of the doors lead
| ing into the kitchen, a good sized
pile of fat pine wood, 50
| much so, that it was one cake, so to
| speak of solid turpentine, lying cris-
cross and in such manner as to make
a rousing fire If once under way. Upon
the floor and scattered on the ground
close by were found a half dozen or
more burnt matches where the rascal
had tried in vain to ignite tine heap.
Owing to the high wind and probably
| to the fact that he was cowed by fear of
being detected by the flash of the match,
the dwelling was saved, but his tracks
were uncovered and mis- plan exposed.
| 1t locks as though we have in our
midst fire bug" one of that class of
people who seem to take unaccountable
pleasure in destroying property by fire.
| The above mentioned building was
| erected in 1885, being but little more
than year old. 1t was constructed of
| cypress and had been built with great
expense to the owner. Ten or twelve
| feet to the north was another structure
of the same pattern and the burning of
one meant the destruction of the other.
The affair has been turned over to the
city authorities and steps have been
| taken to ferret of the incendiary.
In will no RON, apn hara1 that in the aaaa
of the partial burning of one of the For
| ward cottages and of the colored Ma
sonic Hall there We're evidences found
tina. incendiaries had been at work
Neither of those buildings were occupied
| at the time.