The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-17
A FIREBUG GROCER
The West Seattle Fire Traced
to Arson.
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Great excitsmsns prevails In West seat.
10 over The arrest Of -. l. Pencil. who wa1
assesssd yesterday afssrnooa b. Constable
xnesnson. arrstmsd bsfers Justice Rivers.
= ehasged With ths erine Of arson The
varrant On which Psncn vas arrested vas
sworn out before Jusfjcs Rivers By Mur-
dcek Stewart Pencil b charged with Set
ong nre = hid Owl gfocsry store In West
6eefebe, wnIch vas opmpistsiy destroyed by
- ars sayiy Moodsy morning. and Of also
cansank b dessfuc ION of Ssewart's 50
loon, which rs situafsd next door, and
which vas totally destroyed
Ths causss alleged for Pencils incsndias-
ism we're not only 70 obtain the ~insurancs
on his stock Of groceries. which amounted
70 z. 90, z also 10 cover the theft Of sew.
erd vainahls registered mail packages,
which IL was ct frst thought were des-
troyed BY IRE. bat which are nov belseved
70 hayo bsen stolen Beforehand.
The building which Pencil occupied q 3
grocsry store wss owned by Postmaster c.
n. Cooper. and was valued ct 3f,1o. IL
Was insured for Si.OD. Murdoch Stew
arts building adjoining had only bsen
completed . shor time. and he had Just
paid Tor u when il was burned down. He
lost nearly q SO By the IRE and had no in
surance-
IL seems that Psndi's arrest was due TO
The large mount OF circumstansial evil
q which Interested parties have been
gathering since the day OF the fire. and
which vas further s~uhssantiased BY Muir
dock 6tswart's afndavit
Mr.. Stewart informed ths authorities
that his bartender. William Orsnshav.
came 70 him the day sitter the IRE md told
him that hs had sssn the firs when Il first
broke out. and that It occurred about 2
O'Clock In The morning He said that the
danes we're ct drst confined to one corner
Of Ne building. but suddenly flames shot
out from ell quarters OF the building. which
vas . very suspicious fact. q the flames
bad not bad time 70 gain 20 much head
way without some means had bean taken
70 have he building burn very easily.
Upon this information Pencils arrest was
procured, Stewart swsaring ont the war
rant
Pencil Was brought 10 this city and ar
raigned before Justice Miller yesterday
afternoon and placed under $500 bonds to
await IN examination. in default Of which
he went 70 jail.
William Orenshaw. the bartsndsd who
was employed in Stewards saloon. and Who
IVES among the 6rst % discover the fire,
was seen by . Posr- lsTELLI0ExcEa reporter
yesterday. and asked concerning his knowl-
edge Of the affair. He talked very freely
about the matter. and seemed very indig-
nam at the incsndiarist. He said that
when the fire first broke out he saw Grocer
Pencil come out Of his building run
for safety, and he seemed to oct - though
hs knew that the fire vas going 70 happen,
and wa fully prepared for it. He also said
that when Pencil saw him he thought he had
been discovered in his crime. for be came TO
him and offered him $500 II he would not
coy . word about his coming out Of the
house IN such . manner. and that he paid
him IS In cash to keep quiet about it and
gave him . note for the remaining $475.
Orenshaw seems anxious to expose Pencil,
and when the trial comes he says his evil
dence Win create soma excitement
The IRE has been the subject Of general
conversation In West Seattle for the past
few days. and speculation has been rife a.
10 whether or not 1t was the work Of IN
incendiarist-