Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-09-03
GEO BISHOP HELDF0R ARSON
BAIL FINED AT EIGHT HUNDRED DOL
LARS.
Hearing In Justice wheeIer's Court Last
Monday Evidence CircumstantiaI No
witnesses For Defense

Wheeler's cuurt last Monday morn
ing and lasted all day. Seventeen
witnesses were put upon the stand by
the prosecution. Bishop called no
witnesses at all. The lawyers in the
case were District Attorney Lowry for
the state and f. b. Goodsell for
Bishop. A great deal of interest was
manifested in the case, many North
Andover people being present to hear
the testimony.
A detective known as Roach but
who signed to the complaint the
the name of A. r. Russell was pres
emf assisting Mr.. Lowry. He did not
testify though it IS rumored that he
himself could make startling dis
closures.
II was plainly evident to spectators
that the evidence presented was not
what the states attorney expected
from his witnesses though it was sufii-
cient to convince the justice that the
defendant should be held for trial
Lewis Kraut was the first witness.
He is president of the Metropolis Hall
company and was one Of the leaders
in its organization. From him were
obtained The facts relating to forming
the company, building the hail, its
cost and destruction by fire on the
morning of July ?. 1896 The build
ind was 40x60 it,. one story, with a
wing on the west side. The fire
started at the southwest corner be-
tween the wing and the main part and
on the outside Of the building.
From Geo. Coombs who was ianitor
it was learned that there had been no
fire or lights in the hall for several
days and that there we're no matches
or oil in the building except the kero-
sene in the lamps. Mr. Coombs also
testified that about six weeks before
the fire he and Bishop were drinking
together when the latter said: .sThe
hall won't stand till it is paid for.
Harry Dolphin testified to finding
an old sack near the burning building
which he picked up and gave to Mr..
Kraut 1t smelled of Kerosene. 1t was
old and ragged and had klindt.
Geiger & Cos mark on it, The sack
was shown and identified by him.
George Gray testined to finding a
bottle, such as kept in saloons for
light driIks like ginger ale. in the
high grass about thirty-fve feet from
the origin OF the fire. 1t smelled
strongly of kerosene and was bright
and clean. Nearer the building two
paper sacks were found twisted to-
gether as though they had been used
for stopper They also carried odor
of kerosene. Another bottle was
found just like the one described but
not by Mr.. Gray.
The witness said that in CONVERSE
ton with Mr.. Bishop about the dance
to be held in the hall on the Fourth of
July the latter had said: III you want
to know what kind of crowd you
will have. will tell you; there won't
be any crowd at all. .
JAS Morkin testified that he had
seen in Bishops saloon paper sacks
, like those found at the fire.
Joe Bonn, John Ryan, Henry Wild
man and Andrew Meyers gave infor-
nation relating to the location Of
buildings in North Andover. the di-
rection of the wind. Bishops action
the night of the fire and other evil
dence strengthening what others had
testified. Bishop did not 20 to the lire
at all; his buildings were about 200
yards from the fire.
From Myron Meyers, Chas. Gardner
and George Gardner it was learned
that Bishop had once said: "rhe boys
will be I'D glad to dance in my
hall yet
With regard to the sack the theory
of the state seemed to be that this
sack was Bishops; that Mute Converse
had seen it in Bishops saloon few
DAYS before the fire, that Luther
Ascough, Albert Humes and Frank
Converse knew the sack to be Bishops.
But when these men were put on the
stand their evidence was not con
vineing. Mute Converse did swear
that be had said the sack was the one
The had seen in Bishops but later had