The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-02-02
CHARGED With Arson
Mr., and Mrs. John Rowland Tried for That
OReaSe Before Judge Gu1Ster.
TESTIMONY HEARD IN The Case

kindIed in the House Occupied by
the Rowlands-Furniture and Cloth.
ing Had Been Removed -- Other
Cases Of the Day.
John Rowland and his wife, Mrs.
Mary Rowland, were tried before Judge
Gunster yesterday charged with hay.
ing on Oct. 3 last set fire to house on
Albright avenue owned by Edward G.
Dimmick, which they occupied under
q lease. 1t is alleged that the building
was fred to enable the Rowlands to
collect on policy of 1870 issued by the
Iron City Mutual Fire Insurance Com
pany of Pittsburg on the furniture and
personal effects of tho Rowlands. Colo
mel f. J. Fitzsimmons and Attorney G.
II. Soper defended them and District
Attorney Kelly represented the COM
monwealth II. +. Ferbsr, chisf Of
the fire department, was the prosecu-
tor.
George II. Merritt, the agent Of the
Iron City Mutual Fire Insurance com.
pany, was the first witness called. He
said that on Sept. %, 1892, his com
pauy issued a policy on the personal
effects and furniture of the r jwlands
for 1870. Ga Oct. !. 1898, the fire and
consequent obstruction of the prop erty
insured Were reported by Mrs. Row
land. He visited the place and found
but little furniture or clothing.
II. F. Ferber was the second witness
called. He said that about 8 o'clock
on Oct. 3, and alarm of fire WAS sound.
ed. He proceeded TO the house OF the
Rowlands on Albright avenue aud
found that the fire was about extin.
guished, with the exception OF a blaz9
in cupboard behind the kitchen stove,
which he put out with an extinguisher,
THREE FIRES FOUND.
The chief then made an examination
OF the premises, and besides the fire in
the kitchen found there mad been fire
close to the base board in room on
the second floor, and another under u
a table in the psrlor on the first floor.
In this last room tables were piled one
upon the other. and on top of them WAS
a chair topped by q piece Of board
which was close to the ceiling
Under the table was Il pack OF papers
saturated with kerosene oil, but they
seemed to be placed so close together
that they could not burn. After the
loose edges were charred the fire burned
itself out. He could discover no con.
nection between any OF the three fires.
They we're entirely separate, one from
the other. Part OF the furniture and
clothing had apparently been removed
from the house.
Chief Ferbers testimony was cOrrob'
grated with regard to the appearances IS
Of the three rooms in which fires were
discovered by A. K Detweiler, o. P.
Miller and Jacob K. Smith members Of
fire companies that were at .ths house
on the day of the fire.
Mrs Mary English and Mrs Mary
Brown, her mother, testified that or
the day Of the fire they noticed that
lace curtains had been removed from
the windows aud that soms Of the fur
niture had bsen removed from the
house
WANTED MORE INSURANCE.
j. D. Evans, an insurance agent
swore that few days before the fra
Mr.. and Mrs. Rowland called upon
him and told him they wanted to have
their furniture insured right away
He promised to call at their house. but
neglected to do SO. c. G. Bolaud, an
other insurance man. said the Row
lands wanted him to insure thsir fur
/, niture short time before the fire, but
he told them he could not write pol
icy for them for less than $500
William Brown testified that on tn
day of the fire he noticed smoke issu
ing from the Rowland house He op
eDed the kitchen door and saw fire
behind the stove. All of the doors anC
windows of the house were closed
After seeing the fire he rushed off ant
had the alarm sounded. With Browns
testimony the prosecution rested.
John Rowland was the first witnss,
called by the defense He said that h
was employed all day in the Mt
Pleasant mine and did not return HON
until after the fire had bsen extiu
guished. He explained the three ap
, parenty distinc. fires by saying that
I the fire from the kitchen creps arount
into the front room and then workel
> up to the second floor. All OF his fur
nlture and clothing was in the nous
when he left in tue morning. and sue
as was not burned he saw about tn
house and yard after the fire.
MRS ROWLAND'S STORY.
Mrs Rowland was next called. Sh
, said that on the afternoon of the fiji
n she had been out the yard in tbs rear Q
the house digging potatoes. About a
+ hour before it broke out she was las
/ in the house. She left tho front au
rear doors open aud several OF the win
dows were raissd She said that al
of her furniture and effects were in tn
house and yard after the fire None 0
them had been carried away in ad
; vance
,, Mrs. Rowland had little babe wit
! her in court She said that herself
, husband and child have been in Jail eve
since Oct. 1. Since that time two {
l her children, who were committed t
one of the homes for children in thi
# city after her arrest, have died. Sh
shed copious tears when relating tn
fact to the jury.
Obey Thompson swore that Rowlan
was employed by him 8s laborer
u the Mt. Pleasant mine on the day {
4 the fire. He left him in the mine at
Y p. IN. on that day and did not see hil
8 again until after the fire had been sX
h tinguished when he observed him re
: turning from work.
II FURNITURE PILED UP.
+ lie saw the furniture piled up in tt
e front room and took it down and di
y tributed it about 1t looked bad, /
It said, to see the furniture piled up, q
people might think the house was Sc
on FIRE. The BOYS who came into th
house after the fire piled up the furn
'. ture again, and it was in that condi