Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-15
MINORITY REPORT
By Juror F. d. Jenkins in the
PitisfeId Fire Inquest.
He Holds That Fire in Hathorn House
Was Of Incendiary Origin.
And Gives His Reasons 10 Full for Reaching
That Conclusion.

Skowhegan, April 4.-(SpeclaD.-A
result of the fire inquest, held at Pitts
field. April c. 7 and s, before Deputy Sher
if c. e. Haskell relating to the origin o
the fire which destroyed the Hathorr
house, as was related In the Journal. tw,
of the jurors, Orville II. Drake and Cor
don Dobson, rendered a verdict in favor
of accidental origin. while the third, f
D. Jenkins, favored the mcendiary the
ory Mr. Jenkins rendered a somewha
lengthy verdict to Clerk of Courts Brain
ard He SAYS in part: 1T is my opinion
that there are indications that the fire
might have been OF inCendiary origin
The theory has been advanced that sale
fire originated in a room over the ktchcs
in the ell part of the house by means 81
some defect in the chimney or on account
of the cap to the thimbe in the funne
hole in the chimney having been left GU
or blown ont by some explosion Of gas
thereby allowing fire to escape INTO the
room and ignite certain combustible ma
terial contained in that room. The drafI
of that chimney was tested 10y holding
burning matches and paper at the funne
hole and found to be strong.
Mr. w r. Mills, VINO had partly move
his goods into the house on March Il. ties
titled that in company with Frank Far
mer he visited the room on the morning
after the fire, at O'Clock. for the pur-
pose of ascertaining about the cap and
found il in he funnel hole, his testimony
being corroborated by Farmer.
Later in the inquest. two young fell
lows testified to going there at 4 O'Clock
the same morning. and they found the
cap out of the chimney. and one OF them
said it was lying on some husks on the
floor. This testimony had no weight with
ind tod -
might have been used to destroy valuable
evidence on a vital point.
There was a fire in the main part al
the house. in the stairway, which DAD
nearly as much execution as was done IL
the ell part. II consumed the stairs and
the lathing on both sides of the Studdins
and the studdnS tself was burned. II j.
claimed that the latter fire was caused b.
the one in the ell room. If that was So
the fire had to burn its way out into the
passage and along some 10 or 10 feet to a
point opposite the attic stairs. burn
through the partition into the main
house. find its way to the bottom of the
| have described.
The partition between the main house
and ell AZ the head of these stairs was
badly burned and several holes burned
through. but If the ire passed through
that partition from uile ell and had time
work such destruction there. how in the
name of common sense. could there have
been anything left of that partition or
the studding or even of the roof in that
vicinity?
There is still another fire to be ac-
counted for. in the northwest corner OF
that attic. in the main house. II was Il
small fire that burned place some eign,
or 10 inches long and I've or six inches
wide down through the upper boards OF
the attic floor and then died or was eN-
tinguished. Among the several theories
advanced was that water from the hose
knocked a piece of shingle all ablaze int)
that corner. but If that be the case.
water must have soon followed ii. The
small fire is not explained, and | believe
It to be unexplainablc as an honest fire.
God left it there ard | leave it there.
THE above has been written after sew
eral careful examinations of the ruins ri
the Hathorn house, after hearing and
weighing all the testimony presented to
the jury. after serious and honest re-
Election upon everything bearing on the
case. and after three meetings with ms
associates in which | diligently and earn
estly tried to agree with them upon a
verdict which we could AL sign