The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-04

"Mr. Laskey, L have a warrant for
your arrest on the charge of setting
your goods on fire and attempting to
defraud the insurance companies"
Officer Schanks was the speaker and
the man to whom he addressed this re-
mark was II. b. Laskey, proprietor of
the iewelry store which was burned
carly yesterday morning.
/ Mr.. Laskey's arrest was the sequel of
an investigation of his premises which
was the scene Of last nights fire, by
the chief of police, Commonwealth At.
torney Smith and Chief Engineer
Knepp. j. L. Wipgaeld, the agent for
tho insurance companies in which
Laskey was insured, was also present.
A thorough search was made of the
down stairs portion of tho building and
several very significant facts discovered.
Tho room in the rear of the store has
two doors, one at the back and tho other
at the side. Mr.. Laskey claims that
these doors arc always locked and fur
Their secured with wooden bar. The
side door has a glass panel with cur
tain over it.
1t was found yesterday morning that
the glass in this door was broken and
no bar could be discovered. A pile of
glass lay about four feet from tho door,
and from its position it looked as though
the glass had been broken while the
door was opened.
On the floor near tho door lay pair
of opera glasses and nearby case Of
tho same. In ono corner of the room
was gallon can about half full of coal
oil, Tho front part OF the store pre-
scented q desolato appearance. The
wall, on one side, and the ceiling wcrc
blackened, the former being slightly
charred while the show cases or this
side were broken.
There were couple cheap gold
watches and few other things in tho
cases, while on the shelves along the
wall were few cheap clocks. Scattered
on the floor was q quantity of excelsior,
which still bears the smell of kerosene
oil. This stuff was pulled out of the
drawers on the night of the fire.
After the rooms had been thoroughly
searched Chief Jones and Common
wealth's Attorney Smith thought there
was proof enough to justify Mr.. Laskey's
arrest on the charge of burning the
goods and attempting to defraud the
insurance companies.
Justice Howerton by Officer Schanks,
who arrested Mr.. Laskey at his house
between and 5 o'clock in tho after
noon. The prisoner was taken to tho
station house and from there went be-
fore Justice Howcrton and asked to be
released On bail The justice SAID that
the warrant charged the prisoner with
felony, the punishment for which was
not less than throe or moro than ten
years in the penitentiary.
Owing to the gravity of the charge he
did not consider it within bis power to
bail the prisoner, but sent him to Judge
Robertson. 1t was late in the evening
before the Judge was found. He fixed
Laskey's bail at SIS, 600 and accepted Mr..
Lewis as bondsman until this morning
at 10 o'clock. The prisoner is then to
furnish additional security and may also
have to give larger bail.
LaSkey took his arrest very cody and
freely cenversed with TINES reporter.
He denied all knowledge of the crime
with which he Is charged, and said he
thought it would hardly be worth while
to get lawyer. When asked by the
reporter if he had any valuables in the
safe, he replied that he had not. He
said all his watches and other iewelry
were kept in the show case. lie ex-
planned this by saying that until recent
ly both himself and Mr.. Cohen had
slept in the building, he himself Sleep
ing in the store and he did not think it
was necessary to put anything in the
safe except what he had 10 his window
during the day.
Laskey had an insurance on his stock
of $1,000, divided among the following
companies, of which Mr.. j. L. Wing
field is the agent: LIVERPOOL London
and Globe, $1,000; German America,
50, 1000; Fire Association, of Philadel.
phia, 81 900; Glens Falls, of Glens Falls,
N. Y, $4,000; Alexandria, of Alexan-
dria, Va, 81, 900; Morotock, of Danville,
$1,000.
Mr.. Wingfeld said yesterday that no
could as yet make no statement as to
the amouat OF damage "a no inventory
has been taken of tho stock The diff
ferent companies have experts in this
line of business. and it is probable that
some of these gentlemen will arrive
here to-day
crowd Of curious people stood in the
front of the store all day long yesterday
and severely tried tho patience of the
policemen stationed at the door. Almost
every man who came up had different
theory TO advance as to the origin Of the
fire.
There are one or two points in Mr..
LasiSey's statement that are contradicted
by the police. While he was in the
station-house, yesterday evening Com
monIealth's Attorney Smith asked him
if he always left light burning in his
store at night.
Mr.. Laskey replied that he did when
Officer Norman spoke up and said that
such was not the case and that he had
often spoken to Laskey about leaving
hia stnra in darknnas Oaicnr Morri