The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-06
In AND ABOUT THE CITY
TIE CONGRESS STREET MYSTERY.
Startling Story OF an Alleged Plot to
Fire the House

Startling Story OF an Alleged Plot to
Fire the House.
J. B. Robbins who was remanded TO jail
by Judge Faliigant. after an investigate
of the charge against him under the habeas
corpus proceedings Of last Tuesday, has
thus far been unable to give the required
bond. and ls still ia prison.
A detective, who has worked up the case.
says that the circumstantiaI evidence
against Ro bins is very strong, and the
startling information was given TO MORN
ING NEWS reporter that when Billiard
entered his room on the night of the eKplo-
| sion at the boarding house, he overheard his
wife say: Jack. that won't do; you go TO
bed, and I will 90 downstairs and clean up
the mus, so you viii not get in the hands of
the law" It is claimed that Mrs. Billiards.
remarks we're addressed to Robbins, who
had come up the back stairs on
the outside of the building, and was stand
ing on the outer platform at the door lead
ing into Mrs Billiards. room. 1t is
claimed that Mr.. Billiard, who overheard
that portion Of the conversation by his wife
while on his way to his tedroom from the
bathroom, Immediately after coming to bed
acoosted bis wife and wanted to know what
she meant by what she had said, and that
she informed him that Robbins had told her
he had saturated the floors of the parlor and
dining room with gasoline, to which be was
going to set fire, and that she had told him 1t
would not do and that she would 20 down
stairs and clean it up.
Mr.. Billiard remained In bed, but Mrs.
Billiard, who had been uneasy all night, got
up and went TO the door, at which time the
explosion took place.
The readers OF the MORNING NEWS will
remember that Mrs. Paige, in an interview
with a MORNING News reporter the day
after the explosion, had said that Mrs Bull
lard seemed troubled, and had a PRESENT.
ment that something would happen, and
when questioned by Mrs. Paige as to what
she thought would happen, she replied that
she was afraid that something was going to
happen to Mrs. Paige's husband, who was
then working on the new quarantine
wharves
1t is claimed that Robbins told Mrs. Bull
Lard en- the afternoon preceding the morn
ing of the explosion that he would fire the
house and that he and Mrs Billiard could
then realize on their insurance The de-
tective who is working up. the case says
that Robbins short time before the ex-
plosion occurred, said that he expected to
make stake and get out of town. All that
part OF the conversation which is alleged to
have taken place between Mrs. Bullard and
Robbins was not permitted to go in evil
dence at the preliminary hearing before
Judge Falligant, Mrs. Billiard being dead,
and heersay evidence being incompetent.
but it rs understood that the state, upon the
final trial of the case, will be able to intro
duce competent evidence to the same effect.
The theory is that Robbins, after having
poured the gasoline on the floor, went up
stairs to give timely warning of his purpose,
and refusing to be governed by the sug-
gestion Of Mrs. Billiard, went ok down
stairs and set fire to the floor, and hurrying
back up the interior stairway, had only
gone as far as the hallway OF the second
floor, opposite Mrs. Paige's room, when the
explosion occurred, the force of which blew
him into her room, where he was found
when he was taken from the ruins