The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-06
Preliminary Hearing on
Serious Charges.
Warrant Alleges He Commit
ted Burglary and Arson.
Opening Testimony Against Nara
gansett Pier Druggist.
Special Dispatch to The News.

Narragansett Pier. X. l., May 6. The
trial of Frank Watson for alleged burg
larry and arson committed at the Conti-
mental Hotel, NaTaganett Pier, on April
2sth, was begun in the Second District
Court here Mt 8 O'Clock this morning.
Judge Lewis presided at the trial.
T.. &. Case, Esq, is the attorney for
the prosecution; n. B. Crafts. Esq, and
+. 1. Olney, Esq, are retained for the
defense.
The court room was filed this morning,
the wide acquaintances OF Watson making
the charge against him big sensation in
South kingstown. The affair has been
about tho sole topic of conversation in the
villages since il happened
The chief difficulty in considering how
substantial are the suspicious that con
meet Watson with the affair has been the
finding OF a motive But while South
kingstown folk are not disposed to con-
denim their fellow townsmen without
fair trial, IL is said that the Continental
Hotel property would be as valuable
without the hotel building on il as with
IL, that the insurance would accordingly
cut figure and that Watson had the
power of attorney for certain of his rela-
tiyes Interested in the estate.
The Examin alton.
James G.. Carrie and his wife live i'm
the Continental Hotel as keepers and
Carrie was the first witness this morn
ing He testified that he was aroused on
the morning of the 18th of April about
. o'clock by someone apparently in the
house At 3 O'Clock the same kind Of
noise was heard and his dog was barking
ftu upcnru n window and fHea-eHe- -sAet
from his revolver. Then he SAW man
on the lawn running in the direction OF
the Ocean road and he fired twice again
Witness described the finding of windows
open and a mattress carried from
chamDe through two rooms to spare
room. He found oil, probably machine
oil, in different parts OF the house and
doors open that ne knew were closed the
night before. The pistol shot attracted
the attention Of Policeman Briggs and life
savers Knowles and Quinn.
A great deal OF the testimony asked for
from Carrie was relative TO the property
surrounding the hotel and had no appar-
ent bearing on the case yet it was
evident COUNSEL for the prosecution was
trying to establish something for the
future in the examination.
The witness testified TO finding lot of
burnt matches in different parts of the
house where the witness had made his
way about the premises. He also found
the hammer with which the window had
been forced open in the basement. There
was no evidence that rre had been ac-
tually started. Policeman Briggs
went up TO the hotel and helped to make
a thorough examination of the premises
and Briggs told Carrie he was convinced
from what he had seen elsewhere that the
man was Watson. Carrie could not
identify the man he shot at because of
the misty state of the air. but he was
short in stature and was heavy.
On the cross-eXamination witness said
he was in the habit of leaving the house
constantly in day time.
In the further cross examination il be-
came apparent that the defence would
try to establish the theory that the whole
business had been done by tramp, rs
no less than l6 tramps have been sent up
from this section within few weeks.