The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-19
WORK OF INCENDIARIEs
TOWN OF MALVERN, ARK. PARTLY
DESTROYED BY FIRE RUGS
All Trnmps Locked Up on suspicto,
and One Nearly Lynched for
Talking Too Much.

LITTLE ROCK. July 1S-The town O,
Malvern. Ark. at the junction OF the Hot
Springs railway, was about wiped out hv
fire ct an early hour this morning Nal
vern was a little city OF about six thou
sand inhabitants. the business portion O.
the place being clustered around the rail-
road station. An this section was de-
stroyed, only three business houses remain
Ing. The total loss is variously estimated
at from 100000 TO $4,000. only a small
portion of which is covered by insurance.
The burned buildings include the railroad
depot. two hotels. the bank and al IN.
principal business houses OF the place.
The fire is without doubt the result OF a
plot to destroy the town. The blaze broke
out about midnight in three different
places. and. as there was no apparatus.
the fire burned itself out. Four men are
under arrest charged with starting the
fire. and the people OF the town are in such
a state OF excitement that there Is a strong
probability that the incendiaries Will be
su;nmarily dealt with.
The principal losers are: Il. Adams So
600. fully insured: Hughes * McRay. s25.-
600. partially insured. w. s. Cooper &
Bros. $4,000; insurance. 5000. II. \. But
Ter, $4,000: insurance, $500. H. Barnett.
1900; insurance. William Dufie. SIa.-
eco: no insurance. L. NJ. q 5. NJ. railway
DEPOT, $4,000. +. Cleary. $500: insurance.
$3.50 A NJ Duffie $1,000: no insurance.
Bank of Malvern. $4,000; partly insured J.
E. Chamberlain. 5000; partly insured.
A report was received here that a negro
erroneous NO one was actually lynched
but white tramp came near fcrfeifine his
life in an endeaNor TO fitch money from the
excited citizens. He remarked In a crowd
g "A NJ he
reveal the identity of the Gre bugs lie
was promptly answered with the remark
that he would diyuige the Information at A
more reasonable figure. Somebody pro-
cured a rope and the crowd seized the
tramp and proceeded to bring him UP 10
force the Information from him. but he
then protested that he knew nothing about
the crime and begged piteously for his
life. he and a pal were then locked up.
Every tramp of suspicious character found
around the ruined town was promptly ar
rested. Four men. TWO white and two
Gated in the Grim and il seems that they
went about their work i'm a systematic
manner.
The fire was first started in a cottage in
the suburbs about II O'Clock last night
This blaze attracted the attention OF the
people and while efforts were being made
to extinguish IL the torch was applied TO
the business portion of the city In several
places simultaneously and be fore the peo-
pie were hardly aware OF ii the whole
town was in flames. When the fire had
burned itself out the only business house
left standing was that occupied by Berg
ers store. Every effort is being made TO
apprehend the incendiaries and il positive
evidence against any of the men under ar
rest can be secured there is hardly doubt
that they will be- lynched, IL not an even
more horrible punishment be melted out TO
them.
Sheriff ID. c. Fitzhugh. of Hot Springs
county tonight brought to the peniten-
tiary here Eugene IngrahaIn. L. Miller and
Cass Williams. three men arrested at Nal
vern on the charge of being the firebugs
who put the torch to that town last night.
Ingraham and Miller are white and Will
liams is a negro. Sheriff Fstzhugh says
that no negro was lynohed. but he consid-
cred IL necessary to place the prisoners in
the penitentiary for safe keeping. He had
considerable trouble in getting his prisoners
on the train the crowd was anxious TO
get possession of them Williams has con-
fessed completely in the crime and impli-
Gated the two white men. He SAYS il was
done for the purpose of plumber and that
had they not been frightened away "A good
haul would have been made.