The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-23
THE RECENT FIRES.
Investigated By the Mayor and Board
of Aldermen.

Seven or Eight witnesses Testify-Some
Discrepancies But tho General Testi-
mony Clear-Stenographer Small viii
Write Out the Evidence and 1t Will Be
Forwarded to the Insurance Commits
sioner.
Yesterday afternoon the members OF tn
board of mayor and aldermen met in
accordance with the statutes of the state,
chapter 267, defining their duties in re-
gard to investigating the origin of fires.
There were absent Aldermen Ilsley and
Pagan. Mayor Randall presided and City
Solicitor Morrill, conducted the investiga
ton. Very few questions were asked by
the board, the city solicitor having the
elected of an discriminating nature, al
though some of the testimony pointed to
suspicious circumstances in regard to
the fire at Thompson's fruit store Satur-
day night. The testimony was taken by
Stenographer Ruel Small and it will be
sent to the insurance commissioner
The first case taken up was the fire at
% Arsenal street. The two witnesses
called were G. Archer Dunlap and L. G.
Milliken who occupied the two tenements.
They told straight stories and when
Chief Eldridge was called he stated that
he considered the cause of the fire acct.
dental.
The case of thesThompson fire was then
called. All the witnesses were excluded
and then called in one by one to testify.
They were Charles Mccarthy, Milton 0.
Chambers, clerk for Mr. R. G. Thompson,
Prentiss Loring, Neal D. Winslow, r. G.
Thompson, E. o. Stephenson, grocer, on
| Congress street, Jacob Schiebe, tailor, and
Chief Eldridge.
Mr.. Mccarthy testified that he owned
the building where the fire occurred. That
he leased it to Mr.. Fogg who sub let it to
Mr.. Stephenson, and MI. Stephenson
rented the building to Thompson and the
Schiebe Bros. When he rented the build
ing to Mr.. Fogg there were no partition 3
| in the building. It was one large store.
The lease expires the last of the month
and he had so notified Mr.. Fogg who had
made no effort to renew the lease. The
tenants were notified that the premises
were leased to other parties after this
month. Mr.. Thompson expressed regret.
Mr.. Milton o. Chambers was subjected
to long examination. He testified that
he had been with Mr.. Thompson about
three months. He worked Saturday night
last at the store. The store is lighted by
an automatic kerosene oh system and this
was located in the back room where the
fire broke out. The only things in that
room that was combustible were some
paper trimmings on the shelves; there was
no refuse. There was a big oil lamp there
which he put out when he left tthe store.
There used to be cooking by a gasoline
stove but the stove was taken out some
time ago and sent to Mr.. Thompson s
house. There was a can with some gaso-
line in it In the store. Mr.. Thompson did
have two cans, about five gallons each
This can left in the store was jacket
can. In the back room was pop corn
machine, some oranges, peaches and
cigars. The most Of the stock was kept
in the front store. There hadn't been any
cooking in the back shop for long time
He thought it was twelve O'Clock when he
locked the store Saturday night, but an
officer at the corner of Preble street told
him that it wasn't quite H. He told Mr..
Thompson that be would lose his car
that leaves at 11.S0 p. m. and Thompson
did lose IL. He left the store with witness
and they parted at the curbstone Heard
of the fire the next morning. Told Mr..
Thompson the origin seemed a mystery,
but he made no answer. The rubbish
from the store was put in the cellar. I
think one of the curtains in a window
in the alley and another fronting the
street were down when 1 left the store and
the other two were up. There was a
gallon key of whiskey in the back store
under shelf. Didn't see Mr.. Thompson
have it.
Prentiss Loring testified as to Mr..
Thompson's insurance. He said Mr..
Thompson's policy on his stock at the
late fire was 81, 900. 1t was put on Deem
Der 22d for one year. 1t was made out in
the usual way in his name, and there was
no mortgagee's interest mentioned in it.
When the fire took place year ago Mr..
Thompson then had policy of $500, and
$4O0 was paid on the loss sustained at that
time. Mr.. Loring would say that Mr.
Thompson's present stock seemed much
| larger than that of year ago. His policy
permitted him to keep gallon of gasoline
on the premises. Didn't know whether
Mr.. Thompson had more than that
quantity on hand The first fire origi-
mated in the cellar. This one appears to
have originated in the back shop and there
was very little burned in the basement.
Mr.. Neal D. Winslow testified to selling
gasoline to Mr.. Thompson. The last was
sold June 4, at the store. He also filed
the oil tank in the back store on Saturday
the day of the last fire. He put in about
| e.,