The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-25
She WASW IDEAW WAKE
A Diaholical Attempt to lncinerate
Mrs. Carrie Preston.
FIRE UNDER HER BED ROOM
The Lady Believes Her Husband
Is the ~. an Who Sought to Bring
Destruction to Her Life
and Property.

Livingston, April 23.-A diabolical at
tempt was made in this city last Mon
day morning to fire the residence Of
Mrs. Carrie Preston and incinerate
that lady while she slept. That the
awful deed was not accomplished was
due solely to the fact that Mrs. Pres
ton was impressed so forcibly that
night with premonition of impending
evil that sleep was chased from her
eyes and her sense of hearing was
alert to the faintest sound. She had
retired and the hour of midnight had
passed, when suddenly the muffied
sound of a stealthy footstep smote up
on her ear, and as she listened her
blood almost froze within her veins as
she became aware that someone was
descending the outside cellarway.
which opened right under her bedroom
window. The footsteps in the cellar
approached the trap door which led to
her chamber and she endeavored to
call for assistance, but she could pro-
duce not even the faintest whisper.
At the foot of the trap door the per-
son wavered for a minute, as though
undecided whether to mount the steps
or not, and then crept his way to the
corner of the cellar directly under
Mrs. Preston's bed. where for a brief
interval he seemed to be conducting a
search for something. His mission
COHlpltlcu, AC IClidCto Ills SNNPSs
emerged from the cellarway, dropped
the door and departed, The curtain of
Mrs. Preston's bedroom was partly
raised and she could family distin-
guish the retreating form of the mid
night marauder, but the shadows were
too heavy to permit Identification.
But what was that cracking noise
she now heard in the cellar and whence
came those sitting fumes which per-
vaded her room? Hastily she tore
away the carpet which covered the trap
door and discovered through an aper-
ture in the floor that a fire had been
set below and the flames were rapidly
spreading. She FASTENED to give the
alarm and luckily she found assistance
close at hand. After the fire was ex-
tinguished an examination of the eel
lar was made and it was found that a
deliberate attempt at incendiarism had
been made. Pieces of kindling wood, a
tallow candle and some scraps of ba-
con had been wrapped up in several
sheets of newspaper, and the bundle,
after being deposited on a shelf direct
ly under the floor of Mrs. Symptoms bed,
set on fire.
The author of this fiendish attempt
to burn Mrs. Preston alive is believed
by that lady to have been none other
than her husband, and the grounds for
this belief are based upon the follow
| ing circumstances: Nearly three
| months ago "Scotty" Preston pleaded
| guilty to the charge of beating his
| wife, and was given a four months
term in Jail. Nearly all the time since
he has been in prison he has acted In
| the role of a ''trusty"' for Jailer Alex
| Young, and being of much assistance
| around the kitchen, as a matter OF
course, he was given some privileges
not allowed the other prisoners. He
| had the liberty of the kitchen and late
| ly has apparently manifested a great
deal of contritton for the way he treat
| ed his wife, and his time being nearly
I'D, the strict watchfulness which Mr..
Young maintains over all his prisoners
was somewhat relaxed in Preston
| case The people of Livingston gener-
| ally had also testified to their conf
dence in Scotty's reformation by sign
| ing a petition to the governor for a
| Communication of the short sentence
which had been imposed upon Preston.
| In some mysterious way Preston man.
aged to secure last Sunday duplicate
key to the Jail door and along about II
| O'clock at night, after the jailer had
| fallen asleep, he turned the bolt and
| left the Jail 1t was close to that time
| when he was seen walking along the
main street of the city in the direction
] of his wifes home. The next seen OF
| him was about 6 o'clock in the morn
| ing. when he appeared at the house OF
one of his former friends and remarked
that he had broken Jail. Admonished
| to return. he said he would do so, and
he did go back. But he has no more
| privileges allowed him. Since then his
| actions have been so queer as TO lead
some people to believe him insane
while others think he is only sham
ming insanity.