The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-04-12
TRIED IN THE CITY HALL.
Baths Alleged Inssndiary Bound
Over to the Grand Jury.
HE SMILED WHEN THE CROWD
BEGAN TO SHOUT FIREBUGS.

That Was When an Alarm of Fire Inter-
rupted the Proceedings = Members of
the Fire Department Told of the Evil
dence Against the Prisoner-His Own
Version of the Affair-BaiI Fixed in
the Sum of $4,000.
Especial to the PressJ
BATH, April 1.-THE trial Of Samuel
Whjtehouse, Baths alleged firebug, oc-
cured this forenoon at City hall, and
was attended by large crowd. The
case was called about half-past ten,
VIM. E. Hogan, ESQ.,, appearing for the
city, and Frank L. Staples, for the re-
spondent. Whitehouse pleaded not
guilty to the charge of setting fire to
Houghton Brothers salt shed. Mr..
Hogan then presented the prosecution's
side of the ccse, and summoned several
witnesses.
Captain Orrin A. Kittredge, of the night
police, was the first witness called. He
found the pocket of Whitehouse's over
coat damp. Turning the pocket inside
out, he discovered that 1t smelled of
kerosene. Officers Poole and Lindergan
also smelled of the coat. Mr. Hogan
directed Capt. Kittredge to produce the
garment in court. 1t was put In
evidence and submitted to an examina-
nation. It was a light brown spring
overcoat, with diagonal stripe.
Chas. A. Lockery was the next witness.
H. fho Hrcf OF tho fire. ond
after it was extinguished picked up a
small bunch of waste, which he gave to
Chief Engineer Scott.
At this point the fire-bells again
sounded and the crowd made break for
the door. As the witnesses were for the
most part members of the department.,
Judge Coombs adjourned court until 2
p. m. The prisoner appeared to enjoy
the interruption and smiled when
Someone Shouted "Firebugs.''
Court reassembled at the appointed
time and the hearing was resumed.
Lockery repeated his testimony regard
ing the waste and testified that several
others saw and smelled it.
Assistant Engineer Geo. F. Williams
testified to picking up waste which he
took to No. engine house and gave to
Chief Scott. He did not see Sam White
honse at the fire.
James II. Scott, chief engineer, was
called next. After the fire was extin-
guished and the t'all OUT call sounded
he went back to Houghton's yard, where
Chas. Lockery handed him bunch of
oily waste. He met John Mahaney and
Officer Lundrigan who told him about
Sam Whitehouse. He went to No. 3's
house where he found Sam who had on
a light overcoat. Chief Scott identified
the overcoat shown him at this point by
Mr.. Hogan. Continuing his testimony
he said that Mahaney, Capt. Kittredge
and himself went to the house of Mayor
Twitchell and told him the story, ex-
hibiting the waste. Mayor Twitchell
gave orders for the arrest of Whitehouse.
Mr.. Scott accompanied the officers to
the house of the suspected man and re-
turned to the police station after the
arrest was made. Waste was found in
the prisoners overcoat pocket.
John Mahaney testified that on the
night in question he was going down
Water street near Houghton's ship-yard
about half past ten, and saw two men
come out of the yard. He could not see
either OF them to identify them. Near
South street he saw man near the tele-
phone pole, wearing light overcoat and
dark hat, also white mufler or hand
kerchief around his neck. This man
crossed South street diagonally, then
turned up Water street, passing Mahaney,
who recognized him as Samuel White
house. Mahaney stopped near the pole,
and noticing light on Houghton's
wharf, called out to another man who
came along then, that there was a fire
on the wharf The other man, Thos.
Flaherty by name refused to go with
Mahaney to make sure that there was a
fire, saying they. would be accused of
setting it. At this point it blazed up
and Mahaney cried fire and ran to the
nearest box but the alarm was pulled in
before he reached it.
Samuel Whitehouse
being permitted to testify said that he
always carried waste in his pocket and.
had used some that night cleaning Ian
tern. He had on his working clothes
Friday night and did not go home, but
instead went to Dunston' ssaloon and had
stew with Everett Smith. Afterward
they met one, Smith, watchman on the
schooner Kate McClintock and accompan-
led him on board the schooner. A few
minutes before the fre broke out, they
came ashore together, parting a short
distance beyond the shed. The two Smiths
went up to saloon on Water
street and the witness started for home,
but changed his mind when he got to the
sidewalk and followed them. They were
in the door when the alarm was given.
He denied being near the telephone pole.
Several other witnesses were called
who testified to seeing him at the fire.
Then came bit of evidence that dam
aged his side of the case somewhat.
Smith. the keeper on the schooner, testi-
fed that Whitehouse jumped onto the
wharf ahead of them and joined them on
Water street five OF ten min
utes later. On this point Mr..
Hogan made his strongest point.
Judge Coombs decided that there
was probable cause for OBTAINING White
house, and he was bound over till the
A -,