The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-08-04
DEATH CANE IN FLAMES
A Chinaman Incinerated in
His Room
RUSHED BACK TO MEET HIS DOOM
Two Buildings Consumed, with
Considerable Loss
OF INCENDIARY ORIGIN
Max Myers Now Behind the Bars Of
= the City Jail
Charged With Having Deliberately Set Ills
Place on Fire
A Fruit and Tobacco Store. q Chinese Laundry
and Q Secondhand Shop Burned Out.
Myers Statement-He Declares
His Innocence
Max Myers Now Behind the Bars Of
= the City Jail
Charged With Having Deliberately Set Ills
Place on Fire

Yesterday morning, just before o'clock.
q disastrous fire occurred at the south
west corner of First and Los Angeles
streets, which destroyed two buildings
before the flames We're subdued and
caused the loss of one human life, a
Chinaman. AS a sequel to the affair,
Max Myers, small shopkeeper, is in
Jail, charged with arson, with, as the po
lice claim, a clear case against him. The
stores of Myers at No. 1872 East First
street and j. b. Hunter at No. 1874 were
completely wiped out, and the laundry
at No. 100, owned by Wo Sang, was oblit-
Grated.
Myers came downtown from his resi-
dence. at SOL Turner street, and opened
up his shop about $50 o'clock. A few
minutes later passers-by on the street
claim to have seen him pour gasoline out
of can on some papers lying on the
floor in the rear of his store, strike a
match and apply it, then rush out of his
place across the street, crying fire, as the
flames burst forth. An alarm was i'm
mediately sent in and the engines re-
sponded promptly. but the cheap wooden
structure burned like finder, and, before
a stream could be turned on, the flames
had communicated to the rear of the
Chinese laundry next door on the west.
There were thirteen Celestias en-
ployed in the place, and they were wildly
excited at the prospect of losing all they
possessed. The fire spread with great
rapidity. driving them out, but they
made repeated attempts to enter the
building to endeavor to save something.
1t is said most of them had a little mon
ey slowed away, which was probably
n hat
one of the Chinese named Ouonr Girk
was seen to rush into the building, shut
the door and disappear. He had some
money concealed in the back room and
was bound to get it, In moment after
ne mad gone in. volumes of blindinr,
smoke ooscured the view, and when next
the room was seen 1t was all ablaze.
Quong was probably sufrocated bv
tne smoke while hunting for his valu-
aoles, and dropped insensible to the
Hoor' only TO become prey of the flames
which quickly enveloped the room. The
nremen worked with a will and soon
mad the fire well under control. Chief
moore and Assistant Chief Ed Smith
were both on hand and directed the
streams so that the remains of the un-
fortunate heather could be reached as
soon as possible.
IN the middle of the room was found
the charred and almost unrecopniza HE
pody of Quong, bent forward as though
ne had been in the act of searching a
bureau drawer when the fatal flames
overlook him. The hands and feet were
burned entirely off, and the trunk char
red to a crisp coal. from which emanat-
ed the sickening smell of roasted flesh
AS soon as possible the remains We're
conveyed to the morgue at Kregelo &
Bresee's, to await the coroner's inquest
In the meantime the police had not
been idle, and, learning of what had
been seen in Myers store Just before the
flames broke out, Sergeant Gus Smith
and Officer Dixon arrested Myers and
sent him to the police station, where he
was booked at $40 a. M. and a charge of
arson placed against his name. Myers
carried a stock of cheap jewelry, guns
and secondhand clothes, also did repair
ing of old garments.
He was seen at the Jail by reporter
ana talked readily. At $50 he had
opened his place of business, hung out
q lot of clothing in front for show and
took off his coat and was ready for work
Just then a customer came in and want
ed pair of trousers pressed. Myers
says he went to the rear of the store and
lighted his gasoline stove. placing an
Iron on to heat. Then he walked across
the street to cigar stand and pur-
chased cigar, returning to the shop.
AS he stepped into the front door he
was met by sheet of flame, which
forced him back, and he fled across the
street crying fire. He claims to have
been nearly Frustrated by the shock and
to have laid in fainting fit in a friends
store until he was arrested and placed
in Jail. He positively denied that he set
his place on fire, and said that there
were no papers or rags under or near
the gasoline stove, and can only ac-
count for the blaze on the theory that
hA ct@
minutes from the time he lighetd the
stove until he returned and found the
place in flames.
Myers claimed that he had between
$3.50 and $500 worth of goods in the store
and carried $500 insurance. In answer
70 this, the detectives who know his
place thoroughly, having visited it al
most every day say that an outside es-
inmate OF the value of his stuff would
nave been 5000. They have three wit
nesses who Will swear that they saw
myers pour something out of a can
on lot of papers on the floor light the
PIE; ana saunter away few steps Then
ss the names rose the stove exploded and
Myers ran from the door across the
street to a saloon.
me prisoner was arraigned before
Justice Morrison in the afternoon. and
had the date for examination set for
August 5th, bonds being fixed at $1,000.
SiiiiSS nave occurred in the
past winch make it look bad for the
prisoner, and lend color to the theory of
his guilt. His place on Main street was
burned two years ago. and there were
several suspicious circumstances noted
at the time Myers is said to have poured
gasoline down rat hole and lighted it
to drive out the rat, which he did effect
ually, but with disastrous rsults to him
self.
The buildings destroyed were owned
by j. A. Billiard and were valued at
$1,000, fully covered by insurance. 7 r
Hunter is heavy loser, as he had but
purchased his fruit stand last Thurs
day. paying $500 therefor, and had not
secured any insurance. He had made
arrangements to go yesterday morning
and take out policy, but was too late
Wo Sang, proprietor of the laundry
places his loss at $500, with no insur-
ance.