Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-22
DASTARDLY WORK.
coIorado City Suffering Reign
Of Terror.
THE TORCH FIEsDRUssIEG AkUoz

-Four BriidkEgs Set on Psrs - Forty
etsh. Hours-The Mayors Residence
Burned-Arothsr Family LET. with
Nothing ont the Clothing They Wear
Special Poiieemea On Farrot-One Of
the Villains csp.ured-a Spite Against
the Mayor.
COLORADO CRY, Colo., Marca Z2-Ths
residents OF Colorado City passed through
reign Of terror during the torty-eight hours
ended las: Eight, ami there il no telling
VIXEN the destruction Of property will stop.
Since the burning OF Mayor Stocktridge's
residence an5 TIE American hotel Thursday
morning tie department was called out
four times. About noon smoke and flames
were discovered in the Gran1 Avenue hotel,
the property Of the mayor The building
was unoccupied- Tie lower floor had been sat
urated with coal Gil. causing tas fames 10
spread with great rapidly
Residences set on Fire.
For over an hour it looked a. If the whole
confined To the hotel, which Is
a total wreck The residence Of r
J. Reese was set on fire about O'clock
yesterday afternoon during the absence Of
the family, a. in the other instances, and
was consumed. Mr.. ReeSe and his family
have nothing left bar the clothing upon
their backs About 8 O'Clock tins rezidencs
Of NJ Fauikett took fire As 10 the case of
the Grand Avenue hotel, the building had
been saturated with oil, and it burned
rapidly.
Called for Assistance.
~ a. 81
the voluieer firemen of this city, and, as a
measure Of prscaution, it was decided 10 ask
for reinforceFnents from Colorado SPRING.
The request was made by wire, and prompt
ly upon its receipt Mayor Stillman, Of that
place, ordered the jackson Hoss company to
come TO this city without delay, which or
der was complied with, and at O'Clock the
Jsck=oas were quartersd at the engine house
At that hour the streets were filed with
man, women and children, who feared TO
remain within doors One hundred special
policemen were sworn in and placed
throughout the city.
One FIre-Bug Captured.
Just a. the fire Has discovered in Mra
Faulkstt's residence lady named Semple,
residing at the next door east, saw a man
rushing from the burning hosise and disap-
pear in the darknsss- a sufficient glance
was obtained, however, 10 enable her to de-
| scribe the man, whereupon Marshal
Clark took in charge a dissolute
character nannei Peter Reed, who has
| been hanging around the city for several
| months Reed was in maudin condition
Of drunkenness when arrested, and while
on the way TO jail made the startling an
nouncement that seven more houses would
be destroyed before morning. As the pris-
oner has been heard to say that it would be
| good thing if every house IN the city was
| burned to the ground, his chances for sery-
| ing & term at Canon City are exceedingly
good, if indeed be does not decorate lamp
post.
The Mayor Would Enforce the Law.
There are many theories advanced a. 20 the
cause Of the incendiArlsm. Some think the
| fires are the work Of negroes who had lately
been arrested for keeping disreputable
| houses, and others express the belief that the
| devastation was caused through spite to
| Mayor Stockbridge. II Is a well known fact,
however, that the municipal election has
much to do with thu trouble, and threats
| have frequently been made by enemies of
Mayor Stockbridge that he would suffer if
| he ATTEMPTED to be reelected 70 the Office
| The enInity against him is caused by the fact
| that he had enforced the law regardless of
| personal feeling, and Of the influence sought
| 10 be brought to bear upon him