The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-14
1T LOOKS LIKE A CLEAR CASE OF
INCENDIARISM.
Additional Particulars of the Fire INQUEST
1t Revealed No Evidence of the Inden-
tity OF the Firebug-The Similar Blaze
of Two Years Ago.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.J

established beyond a doubt what was
generally believed before, that the fire
of the night of june II last, was OF in
oendiary origin, but the inquest has ap-
parently failed to reveal any evidence
against the perpetrator. Edward S.
Soule, dry goods dealer, and ). A.
Brewster, grocer. occupy the two
stores in the Mallet block on the main
street of the village. Mr. Brewster, how
ever, occupies the basement under both
stores. The ground slopes form the main
street and at the rear of the block the
basement floor is on level with the
ground outside. The block stands on a
corner so that on one side there is
street and on the other Is an alley way
between the block and the Harraseeket
house. Up this alley at about midnight
of June II, somebody made his way in
the darkness. He went to window in
the basement of the Mallet block and
forced it open. Then he reached in and
deposited on pile of fire wood near the
window something which he carried.
After this he closed the window and
hastily made his way out of the alley.
Some time later, guests In the hotel
were awakened by th 9 sound of break
ing glass, and looking towards the Mallet
building saw sheet of fame bursting
from the basement window. The alarm
of fire was given and the flames were
soon extinguished. An examination Of
the basement showed a peculiar state of
affairs. The logs in the wood pile were
somewhat charred while the rubbish
which collects in store basement and
which in this case included a los of ex-
cslsior, had not ignited, although it was
scattered all about the wood pile. But
the beams and plans of the floor above
were charred and burned for many feet
in all directions. The blaze had appar-
entity been caused by something which
generated an intense heat and forced
the flames upward againstathe ceiling,
but there was no trace of the frebug's
machine If there was one.
Capt. ). @. Kendall, chairman of the
board of seleotmen, is of the opinion that
the substance i used in starting the fire
was something which would create great
er heat even than kerosene. The extent
of the burning of the floor above, certain
ly bears out Capt. Kendall's theory, max
ing it look as though there had been
something in the nature of an explosion,
the fire being thrown upward and inward
in all direc tions.
The above is In substance the story of
the fire as given at Tuesdays investiga-
tion. Mr.. j. u. Brewster, the grocer,
testified that he was in the basement
earlier In thesevening, although not in
the portion of it where the fire started.
Mr.. Brewster saw nothing wrong there
then. Mr.. Soule had returned from
Portland on the Pullman that night, in
company with another gentleman, had
fore the fire. He testified to these facts
ann to his being notified OF the breaking
out of the fire shortly after he had
reached his house. The other witnesses
examined were e. B. Grant and Adah
Mitchell, clerks in the stores of Messrs.
Brewster and Soule, j. Brett. night
watohmap, W. A. Ripley, @. e. Lane,
Dan Lawler. Fred Lord, Frank MoNul-
liam, John L. Oxnard, Fred Nichols, j.
e. Davis and Miss Abby Cushing, who
testified to the hour at which the fire
broke out, its nature etc. Under the
state law the sslectmsn are requested to
investigate and report to the insurance
commissioner the cause of the fire and
other particulars. The seleotmen in this
case will Of course report that the fire
was incendiary. They have, however,
no evidence as to the identity of the fire
bug.
One Freeport man with whom the
PRESS correspondent talked today said
it looked to him as if the fire was the
work Of some some who had intended to
burn up the Mallet block and the stores
and hotel on the next corner. Had the
materials which started the blaze been
placed in the centre of the basement, the
fire might have been a serious one, in
that case it would have burned through
the floor and perhaps spread through the
building before being discovered. 1t is
believed that the firebug after forcing
open the window lacked the courage tc
enter the cellar and so started his con-
fagration on the woodpile by the wall,
aEplaoe from which the heat soon smashed
the glass and gave the alarm, which
resulted in the prompt extinguishing of
the fire. AS 1t was the loss was not
heavy. Davis Brothers, who own the
building. received 1868 insurance, and
Mr.. Brewster, the grocer, $3.50. The loss
on Mr.. Soule's stock has not yet been
adjusted. The damage above the base
ment was all done by smoke.
The fire has caused considerable lis
oussion, as about two years ago one of the
large business blocks in the village and
a church adjoining were burned to the
ground by fire occurring at about the
same hour in the night and originating,
it., is believed. in manner similar to