The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-04
ARSON SUSPECTED.
Narrow Escape Of = Hotel Full
Of People.
ARREST or The ACCUSED MAN.
rAs ohssrvsst Eye ~ . rcSice O0esr~-
SHARP Detection ~ sAs Supposed
lnessataxy.

TAconA. Feb. a-An attemps Vas made
to burn the Hotel Fife, situated at the cor
ner Of Pacific avenue and Ninth streets. at
an early hour yesterday morning. The
hotel Is five-stoYy building. and over Is0
guests were in their beds at the time Of
the discovery Of the fire. Fortunately Mr.
w. H. Fife. the proprietor, who Was Just
returning from three weeks trip to Cal
ifornia. reached the city by an early train.
and on entering the hotel noticed smoke
issuing from beneath the sidewalk, and
gave the alarm.
The hotel Is surrounded By some Of the
finest business blocks in the city. and Il it
had not been for the timely discovery OF
Mr.. Fife . serious condagration would
hare occurred. attended. perhaps. BY the
loss OF lie.
On the Pacific avenue side the ground
floor il occupied by several business houss2.
the middle store being jointly used by J.
l. Lewith, boots and shoes. and J. w.
Vaughn. jewelry. Who has . stock valued
at $s5.om. Ii was in this store the fire
originated, and IL seems 70 have been de-
.liberate attempt to burn the hotel. After
the flames had been extinguished By the
fremen, there was found three largo boxes
filed with shavings saturated with coal
oil.
To the right of ths desk in the rear, 90
cupied by the shoe merchant, stood pile
of packing cases filed with waste paper.
Several hve-gallon oil cans, some empty
and others partly filed. we're found whers
IL il supposed the IRE originated.
Between and 6 o'clock yesterday morn
ing Of6ccr Todd saw man come out Of
the store. lock the door and walk rapidly
down Pacific avenue towards the dock.
The officer stated that the person vas
small man in light colorcd overcoat with
large collar turned up about his ears.
He thought nothing Of this. ~ he thought
the man elept In the store. but TO satisfy
hlmself he went across the street and tFied
the door. Scarcely had he rsturned to the
opposite side Of the street whsn he saw
the flames.
At s:l5 this afternoon J. l. Lswith was
arrested on : warrant sworn out b. George
w. Fife. SON Of w. H. Fife. charging him
with setting fire 70 his own store.
A visit to the police station by the Posr-
IsrKlLiGKxcEre correspondent brought -
light that large overc0At similar to the
one worn by the man OfIicsr Todd saw
leave the store shortly before the 6re was
discovered had bssn found. The cost was
seized and afterwards recognized BY
Oficer Todd - the one he had seen on
the man leaving the store. The coat = .
dark gray, large and hsavy. The collar q
Il Il wide and when turned mp vii ooves
hail TIA faca Il was leaSned that Mr..
Lsuith had dispoeed * u his + stFsst ard
addition property q ~ q. W 3. Davis,
of ~ taW n1m of GoEr Co6nW y Uovis,
at "a carly hour this hlGulng. Ms. Davis
admitted this. and said that negotiosions
were completed In short Tins. When
asked IL he had had the matter Of buying
the above-named property Of Mr.. Lewith
mentioned to him before this morning. be
was indisposed either TO deny or affirm
anything concerning this feature of the
sale.
The National Bank OF Commerce this
morning seized the stock Of goods belong
ing to J. L. Lewith for an Indebtedness
of 1900. The bank officials thought the
peculiar circumstances surrounding the
mystery Of the fire sufficient grounds for
an attachment on . chatteI mortgage,
which was issued this morning. The
stock is now in possession Of represent
afivAsof the hank