The Portland daily press., 1890-01-22
NoRRlocswocK's ESCAPE.
An incendIary whose Little Bon Fire
Was Discovered.

LEWISTON, January 21.-The Journal
prints the following special from South Nor
ridgewock:
The business portion of Norridgewock
village had narrow escape from destruc-
tion BY fire, last Thursday night, at the
hands OF one OF our own citizens, now fugi-
tive from the State. Owing to the measures
taken to learn the perpetrator Of this awful
public.
The place of the attempt is the Hale block,
with four stores In the lower pat, dentists
Office and the families of E. 8. Longley and
mso So ssnd e boesp boepeT was 0S5 % the
east Of the building, F. w. Spaulding, drugs.
next, o. +. Hall, jeweler, third, and -Ella 81.
Wetherell, fancy goods and millinery. was
at the west end. She had been out Of the
store SICK since CHRISTMAS and her husband,
Augustus ID. Wetherell, was keeping the
store open.
Thursday evening about 10 o'clock, Her
bert Haynes, the clerk In Spaulding's drug
store, went to the cellar beneath the build.
ing, which is used by all the occupants Of
the stores for storage purposes, and shut off
the water, going, as was his custom, In the
darkness.
Arriving at the water pipe few feet from
the foot Of the stairs, he was startled to see.
sS ffi TSs barre Sad no head bns Was
closely covered; Quickly uncovering it he
saw about two inches OF spermaceti candle
lighted. sitting on bit Of pasteboard, which
In turn, sat upon mass OF excelsior, satur-
ate ated .y with kerosene His first act was to put
ed the store and ran to o. E. Halls about
quarter Of q mile distant. Mr.. Hall was In
bed but quickly got to the. scene:
Making a hasty search, he decided to sum
mon Deputy John II. Mitchell. All this was
done without disturbing the other occupants
of the building who slept on unconscious Of
their narrow escape. Mr.. Mitchell on arriving
entered on a thorough search of the prem
ises and soon got some pretty good clues.
Finally. about three o'clock in the morning
hind some boxes near the barrel containing
the candle. and told him to stay aud watch
everything, and particularly that candle.
This man staid till near noon; when he was
relieved by another who had the same in
structi0ns. About noon his watch was re-
warded.
The basement door to the icellar opened,
Augustus ID. Wetherell entered and advanced
toward the barrel. One of the employees tenn
pSosary employed in TIE building down
and took up piece Of board and began to
split it, talking rapidly meanwhile. The
boy went up stairs.
Mr.. Wetherell went out of the basement
aSSr ouy and roan instantly H8e ADVANCED b to
where he could see the barrel, but could not
reach it. Looking at it a moment he passed
around near the guard, went straight to the
barrel, took up the cover, reached In, took
the candle and looking all about him left the
cellar. Friday night the watch was again
set, but the attempt was not repeated. Sat
urday night, Deputy Mitchell, Mr.. Hall. Mr.
Knowlton and the guard confronted Mr..
Wetherell in his wife's store with the proofs.
He at first denied everything relating to
the transaction, but as one after another of
his acts Of Friday were narrated, he finally
admitted placing the lighted candle there.
Thinking, under all the circumstances, an
immediate arrest inadyisable,he was allowed
to go home to his wife. Sunday night he
fed from the State. driving to Wateryille