The San Francisco call., 1896-03-24
Claims the Woolen Mills Pro
prietors Made Him Their
Confdant.
WANTED HIM TO SAY NOTHING
Was to Receive $1,000 for Keeping the
Secret-A Sensational Aft.
davit.

WOODLAND, CAL., Mdrcn Z5.-CnarIeS
A. Shepherd and P. G. Colum, proprietors
of the Woodland woolen-mills, recently de-
stroyed by fire, were arrested this after
noon on a charge of arson, sworn to by
District Attorney Hopkins. The COM
plant is based upon the deposition of
Night Watchman Shirley, who was in
charge of the mills on January q, when
the first fire was discovered and ex-
tinguished. Shirley's deposition alleges
that shortly before o'clock on the even
ing of January q. while he was en- route
to the mills, he met Collum and Shepherd
in a wagon near the woolen- mills. Shep-
herd said to him:
"Ed, 1 wish you would give those flues
blowing out tonight
Shirley replied, 81 do that every night"
Collum then said, "The weather being
damp they choke up more than usual"
and then some one said, "Blow out the
boiler, too"
at 8 o'clock that night Shirley's atten-
ton was attracted by the barking of dog.
He quit work and went around to the
south of the building. but saw nothing and
returned to the engine. He proceeded to
make his rounds of the building and dis
covered a fire in the north end of the fin
ishing-room. He gave an alarm and put
out the fire. Soon afterward he saw two
persons coming toward the mills. He
recognized them as Collum and Shepherd.
He discovered on the floor that night,
near where the fire started. piece of bur-
lap the size of wool sack.
About 3 O'Clock on The afternoon of
January %, he met Collum and Shepherd
on the streets of Woodland. They invited
him into a saloon and had couple of
drinks. He then made arrangements to
meet them short time later at the corner
of Main and Third streets. He met Collum
and Shepherd at that place, and they asked
him about buying the woolen-mill prop
erty, and wanted him to go in with them.
Shirley replied that he had no money.
Collum then said in the presence and hear
ing of Shepherd:
'How would you like to make thou
sand?"
He replied, "It is owing to how am to
make it."
Collum said. "Wait till we get to your
house and I will tell you about it,"
All three went down to Shirlev's house
and went around to the back yard, and
Shepherd said: .They are settling up the
Laugeno ur estate and we are liable to lose
it (meaning the woolcn-mills), and it
would throw these families out as beg
gars."
Collum said, "There is an old home
stead back East mortgaged to run the
MILL
After further conversation Collum said
IN
"See here; am the - who set that mill
on fire."
Shirley replied, II believe it."
Colium said, 1--WE knew you did from
the way you talked that night and we had
decided to take you into our confidence,
and if you want to make $1,000 you can
do it."
Shirley then asked Collum what he
wanted him to do. whereupon Collum re-
piled, ''Just to know nothing, and you
can get your money in from forty to sixty
days."
Collum stated that they had prepared
for the fire on January 81 by putting coal
tar underneath the floor and then touched
it off through the ventilator, ami con-
cluded by saying. Charley struck the
match and l set the fire." Shirley then
asked when they set it, and Collum re-
piled, when you were upstairs filling
your lamps"
house it was understood and agreed by
and between all that the mill should burn
that night. Shepherd and Collum then
departed and Shirley commenced think
ing the matter over and advised with his
wife, and finally went to Charles Shepherd
and told him he would have nothing to do
with it. Collum and Shepherd pleaded
with him and told him to think of the
$1,000, but he refused, and they then
pleaded with him not to give them away.
In conclusion, Shirley swears that this
statement is made freely and voluntarily.
Public opinion as to the guilt or inno-
cence of the accused was, until the arrest,
about evenly divided. To a CALL CORE
spondent Shepherd and Collum said that
they had no statement to make, further
than that they were surprised at the depo-
sition made by Shirley.
I'VE had heard two or three days ago
that Shirley was to make some such a
statement" said Mr.. Shepherd. "When
we approached him yesterday he said,
There is nothing in it; the whole thing is
lie.'"
The two were admitted to bail in the
sum of $4,000 and the following have quail
fed in $500 each: Mrs. Emma Laugenour,
owner of the burned property; ]. f.
Hink, merchant; c. Sieber, hotel man;
A. M. Elston, druggist.
STOCKTON MAN BUNKOED.
Trenty Thousand Dollars PaSd for