The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-21

when she got cut of bed on the morning
of the Ere Witness asked Niles how the
oil had been spilled in room eight II the
lamp was in his (Niles's) room when IL
was broken. Niles replied that he dlo
not want to answer questions. lie sald
You get me nervous and l can an
swer such questions Niles acknowl-
edged that the fire had been set by some
one, but he did not know who the 1ncen-
diary could be. Niles said that the fire
must have been started by some one in
the house as all the doors were locked and
there was only one latch key to the front
door, SO that no one could have got into
the house. Witness went into the room
where the organ had been on fire. he
found by rolling the organ back from the
wall several thicknesses of paper which
had been saturated with kerosene but
were only partially consumed. This
paper witness removed and exhibited to
the aldermen. The paper smelled
strongly of kerosene. The carpet in this
room was SO badly burned that 1t was i'm
possible to tell whether kerosene had been
spilled on it or not. Niles told the wit
ness that he had two vacant rooms in his
house on the night of the fire but had
turned away man who applied for lodg-
ings and given him q quarter to go to
another house. Niles didn't claim that
all of his rooms had been engaged for the
night. Mr.. Plummer said he had no
doubt about the fire having been set in
three places and an attempt having been
made to start fire in q fourth place. He.
too. was of the opinion that the fire must
have been set by some one in the Domln-
ion house as Niles said that the doors
were all looked on the night of the fire
and no one could possibly have got into
the house.
Mr.. W. G. Jeffords Of the Argus, a
reporter, was the next witness. On the
morning of the tire and little while after
the alarm had been turned in witness
saw Mr.. Niles and talked with him about
the fire. Niles told witness that he had
50, 900 insurance on his house. Niles be-
lieved that the fire had started In the par
lor by the explosion of a lamp. He also
showed Mr. Jeffords the insurance poll
O les which he had inHhis pocket in an en-
velope.
The hired girl of Mr.. Niles's, and two
or three boarders had also been summoned
to come to the hearing yesterday after
noon but none of them had put in an ap-
pearance and so the board was obliged ito
adjourn again until four O'Clock this af-
ternoon when the hearing will be con-
tinued.
Alderman Rounds, soon after the hear
ing was opened, stated that he wished to
raise point about the action OF the
board on Wednesday afternoon in voting
to allow the board of overseers to go
ahead and make a test case of the right
of the city to support the old soldiers in
the aims house. Mr.. Rounds raised the
point that the action of the board on
Wednesday afternoon was illegal because
the matter had not been stated in the call
for the special meeting. Mr.. Rounds
wanted the board to reconsider it's action
of Wednesday and rescind the vote passed
on that afternoon. Alderman Pagan raised
the point that Alderman Rounds was out
of order as hearing on fire inquest
was in progress and the matter he wished
to consider could not properly be
brought up at this time. Mayor Randall
sustained Alderman Pagan and ruled AL
derman Rounds to be out of order. The
hearing on the fire inquest was then con-
tinued without further interruption and
Alderman Rounds retired from the
chamber.