Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-22
CHARGED WITH ARSON.
Lillian N. Knox Of Oakland Lodged
in the County Jail.
''a's' o.o ..' 10000 Bonds by Judge Shaw
o. VAUDEVILLE Municipal Court.

w. Fletcher WAS In Watervipe Mo,
day. conducting case against
woman charged with arson. Th;,
woman, who is Miss Lillian Nav Kno,
OF Oakland pleaded not guilty to tn,
charge "nen brought befores 1udg,
Shaw In the municipal court. tudre
Shaw found probable cause and n,aood
her under $4,000 bonds for apnearance
before the next term of the supero,
court She was unable to furnish sure.
ties and was brought to this city on the
afternoon train, where she was lodged
in the county Jail.
The story of the affair only goes to
show the good work that is going on in
the insurance department QUIETLY
though with effect. The fire in cues.
tion'occurred in Oakland, on the night
or Friday. Nov. II, at about 11.45
O'Clock. The house was the property of
A. Winslow & Co.. and was occupied by
the families of Benjamin Stevens and
Alton Bickford. The fire appears TO
have been set from the outside of thu
stable connected with the dwelling, in
which We're eight or 10 people sleep
ing
me municipal officers thought the af
fair rather mysterious and they COM
municated with the insurance depart
nlent. Deputy Fletcher went to Oak
land. last week. and there at an inquest.
fen assured that the woman in cues
ton was the guilty party, from the ev-
idence there brought forth. He at
once made out a warrant for her ar
rest, and she was arrested, Monday
morning, by Chief of Police B. F. Rob-
.inson of Oakland, and taken to Water
vile.
A romantic tale was unfolded in the
court when all the facts of the case
were brought out. If the woman COM
mtited the deed, sshe did it drought
jealousy of man who was in the
house that was burned. lit seems from
the testimony, that the woman was
stopping in the house next to the one
that was burned. She was known to
be in love with man, whom she knew
was in the house that was burned, and
she was jealous of the man. She had
made threat, SO it is said, to burn
that house, or any other in which the
man stayed, if certain woman was
in the same, house with him. On the
night of the fire there was light snow
on the ground Footprints We're found
in the snow leading from place under
the window of the room where Miss
Knox was stopping to the stable of the
house that was burned, and back. Her
dow. A tin box just large@enough to
hold a pint bottle that had contained
kerosene oil was found just outside the
window Furthermore the girl was
found in bed with all her wearing APP
parel on with the exception of her
shoes, when called by the. woman
where she was stopping, a few minutes
after the fire was discovered.
The same building had been on fire
once before within the week, but the
fire was extinguished. All the testi-
mony seems to be against the woman.
yet she did not appear in the least aft
fected by it, from the time of her ar
rest, through the trial and up to the
time when she was taken toTthe police
station. Then she broke down. She
merely pleaded not guilty at the hear
ing and had no counsel, so no defence
was offered
She is a girl about 20 years OF age,
and is thought by her neighbors to be
ignorant and hot tempered. She was
stopping at the house Of Robert Bick-
ford, because there is said to have been
trouble between herself and her pa
rents. 1t is also said that she once at
tempted the life of her parents, by put
ting paris green into the bread tnes
ste. In appearance she is not at all
! possessing.
The insurance department is now at
work on several cases that have the
appearance of having been of incendiary
origin. Commissioner Carr passed last
week in working upon one case, wnere
he has the guilt of the culprit ffanly es-
| tablished. 1t lead to the fact that a
very old man was the guilty one, put
of course he will have to be punished
with the others.
Commissioners Carr says the mcen-
diary fires are surely growing less IN
numbers. since the law OF the lnvesu-
CATION of fires has been in force. Inere
have been several placed IN Jan am
prison for the crime of arson ana tnat
4 makes the Others wary.
! Mr.. Carr further adds thatslt Is one
| of the hardest matters in the worid
1 to fasten the guilt of arson upon a