The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-04-21
The Well Known Laundryman
Charged With Arson.
The Grand jury Returns Two In
dictments Against Him For
Burning BOwman's Laun-
dry. He is Thought
to Have Left the
City
Ernest and Lawrence Fleming
Indicted For Obtaining
Goods Under False
PretenSe.

1 The grand jury made its final re.
port at $50 o'clock this afternoon,
and brought in two indictment:
against Ira Zimmerman, one on the
charge of arson in the first degree,
and one for arson in the second de.
gree.
Zimmerman is a laundryman and
it is alleged that he is responsible for
the total destruction of John Bow
mans laundry, on the 9th of Septem.
Der last, at 313 and 315 Lamine
street. The warrants for thinner
mans arrest were placed in the hands
of Sheriff Smith Immediately Cd
the return of the true
bills, but up to the hour of going
to press Zimmerman has not ben To-
Gated, and it is thought that he has
left the city.
For over a year there has been
bitter rivalry between the two laun-
drymen. On the 9Th of last septem.
Der, while Mr.. Bowman was in the
east, fire was discovered in the CEN
ter of the building about the hour OF
midnight. The next night the fire
was discovered in the same place and
the building was Totally desir ,yed.
Mr.. Bowman started in business again
a short time thereafter at No 205
East Third street and on the Goth of
January fire was discovered in the
elevator shaft. 1t was put out with
but small damage, A large bunch Of |
kiDdling was found On the premises,
which again told the story of the in
cendary. Just what the evidence
against Zimmerman is has not yet |
been fully developed as the officials
positively decline to furnish any in
formation whatever.
The return of the indictments is
quite a surprise as it was thought
sufficient proof could not be had upon
which to base them, although rumors
of Zimmerman's guilt have filed the
air for many months.
The grand jury also returned an
indictment against Ernest and Law
renee Flemming, charging them with
having obtained goods under false
pretences from Charles E. Messerly.
They have not been arr ested as yet.
The grand jury made the following
report to the court:
"We visited the county Jail and
find the inmates thereof reasonably
well satisfied as to treatment and pro-
vision furnished and that the jail is
in as good sanitary condition as
is possible under the circumstances.
1.-The jail building is entirely too
small and the ventilation exceedingly
poor. New water closets are needed,
new stable, coal and wood house also.
We further report the present
Jail and accommodations therein ,
furnished wholly inadequate and a
disgrace to the county. Humanity ,
demands that something be done to !
make more comfortable and healthy
the place where the prisoners are con-
fined, and we respectfully recommend
and urge that the present Jail and
grounds be sold to the best possible ,
advantage and other grounds pur-
chased and a new and more commO-
iious Jail built at the very earliest
possible date.
In the present Jail there are now
confined in three very small cells, fif-
teen prisoners. !.
If the premises were sufficient in
extent we are of the opinion that the
prisoners serving sentences could be
worked and'the labor so utilized as to
bring fair income to The county.
That the real estate upon which the
present Jail is located is of great value
and by selling the same enough could
be realized to purchase a much larger
lot in different part of the city and
leave a good amount to be expanded
in aiding in the building of new
Jail.
This morning Judge Ryland passed
sentence of 3 years in the penitentiary
upon George Smith and Gus Schenen-
CURT convicted of burglary, and 2
years on Walter Barnett convicted of
larceny and VIM. Alexander Of grand
larceny.
D. Shafer, who was convicted of