The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-03
CITY OF WEsTBRook.
A Servant Girls Rash Reyenge-How An
ME Ridge Set the White House at Cum
ber1and Mills on Fire.

berland Mills on Fire.
The revenge of sulky servant girl
was responsible for dangerous fire at
| Cumberland Mills yesterday morning,
and will be the means undoubtedly of
booming the girl to severe punishment.
The girl is Annie Ridge, aged about %,
who came from Ireland few years ago,
and has been employed for few weeks
| at the boarding house at Cumberland
mills, kept by Mr.. Loring P. Rand, and
called the White House. Excepting fits
| of bad temper, the girl has borne good
reputation where she has worked; but
Mr.. Rand says that he had occasion sew
eral times to reprove her for being light
fingered. Thursday, SO many things
had been missed that her room was
searched.
1t seems that the girl meditated re-
venge for this.
Thursday night, after everybody had
awakened by what he thought was
smell of smoke. He gave the ala m.
Several of those who were awakened
| by his cries were nearly suffocated with
smoke, and ran into the street in their
night clothes. 1t was soon found that
there was but little fire, but vast
amount of smoke.
| But it took an hours hard work by
the fire department of the city to put it
| out. The fire was in the basement and
| between the walls. 1t was at the time
supposed that the fire had caught in the
floor above the boiler, but, on further in
| vestigation later, facts of Almost start
ling kind were brought to light.
The proprietor, Mr.. Loring P. Rand,
found on Investigating after the fire had
been extinguished and the excitement
was over, that the fire had originated in
| a store room in the basement, and he
came to the conclusion that it was prob
ably Of incendiary origin.
The appearances were so convincing
that Sheriff Chute was called, and he
soon had in his charge Miss Annie Ridge,
the kitchen girl. This was about $50
a. m. Investigation and cross-question-
ing by the officer brought to light the
facts narrated above and other points
, that threw so much evidence in favor of,
tine belief that this woman had mali
ciously set the fire that she became
frightened and openly confessed it to
Sheriff Chute, who brought her to Port
land and placed her in the jail, on
charge of arson, with the possibility of
life imprisonment staring her in the
face.
There seem to be indications that the
girl had meditated her deed for some
time
In conversation with the chamber girl,
Miss Lottie Allen, several days ago, she
had informed her that she believed the
house was soon to be burned, and adj
vised her to be on the watch. This
young lady, knowing her to be supersti-
tious, gave her words but passing
thought, and did not mention the CONVEX
sation at any time afterward
After the trouble about the stealing,
the Ridge girl retired to her room, which
is in the ell of the house on the first
floor. Nothing was seen of her until af-
ter the fire had started, when she APP
peared with her personal effects in her
arms. 1t was noticed that she was neat
ly dressed and that her hair was lastly
combed. This was the first suspicious
circumstance. A pair of back stairs
leads from the kitchen to the basement,
and it is supposed she passed down these
and set fire to a trunk and box of pa
pers in the store room. This room is d.
rectly under that of Mr.. and Mrs. Rand,
and their escape from an awful death
was marvellous.
Miss Ridge has brother. whose
whereabouts she refused to tell, but it is
believed he lives in this city.
Today she will be brought before the
municipal court in Westbrook, where
preliminary hearing will be held, and she
will be remanded to Jail to await action
of the grand jury. Sheriff Chute and
Assistant County Attorney Charles A.
True have the case in hand.