The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-09-15
Last Night Fire Again Broke
out in the Lee Variety
Store and Destroy it
SAVIOR, WH|TLOCK, SORDEN
All Three are Here or on
Their Way to lola to
Stand Trial.

The three small frame business
buildings at the corner of Walnut |
street and Madison avenue, two fac |
ing the avenue and one the street, !
belonging to Mrs. Annie Apple, were
burned to the ground Tuesday.
One of the building was occupied
by w. l.. Lees variety store. one 10y
II. w. Williams ieed store, and the
other by the family OF j. Rem,clI
The two larger buildings were in
sured in tie Orient, C.. l.. Wht'akc',
agent, FIR 500 each, and the smaller
one in the Home, f. T.. smith, agent,
for 500
Mr.. Lee had insurance nn his 81. ok
of GOO. 10 the entire amount of $500
OF thi. -un $3.50 "a- in the Snawnee,
OF Tope, o.. an0 the same amount Ia
the MilW ,ukec. Witch % d. Huh-fu,
agents, anu S'oOr iu the ii erppol,
London IL GIou-, - Il. Bcllett,
agent. The premiums on the two
former policies had not been paid,
AID the agents had ordered them
cancelled, but the policies had not
yet been returned. \ small portion
of Mr.. Lees goods were saved, to the
amount, he thinks, of about fifty dol
lars. He is unable to estimate his
loss, az he has not taken an invoice
since he began business several
months ago.
III. w. Williams had a policy for
$3.50 in the Orient, Whitaker. agent.
His loss will probably not exceed
500, as most of his stock was carried
out.
MIR. and Mrs. l.. Remick, who lived
in the little building or Walnut
street, has the goods insured tor $500
in the Mercantile, w. b. Hall, agent
Most of their goods were saved, and
the Company has already agreed to
pay $40 in full of their loss.
HOW THE FIRE STARTED.
When the same buildings were
found to he on fire last Friday night
it was charitably supposed that rats
or mice were accountable for the
blaze. But the quick repetition Of a
fire in the same place leaves no room
for doubt that this, as we'll as the
former fire, was the work of an in
cendiary.
Mr.. Lees story of the fire as given
to a representative of the REGISTER,
is as follows: "Since the fire last
Friday night have been sleeping in
the store. Last night was awaken
ed twice by noises. The first time
got up and looked into the back
yard, but could see nothing and re-
turned to bed. In short time the
noise was repeated and | slipped on
my shoes was sleeping with my
shirt and trousers on and stepped
out the back door. | went to look
around the corner of the house and
saw man standing there, eigher u
negro or man with his face BACKED.
AS coon as he saw ms the man struck
me on the head and knocked me
down. / was unconscious for some
time, don't know how long, but when
| came to myself l was on bench in
the rear of the shoe shop and the
whole end of my store was on fire.
| ran around to the front and found
men already carrying things out l
have no idea who the man was VINO
struck me. There was no sign of
fire when | stepped out of the door,
Mr.. Remlck, whose house was just
at the pack door of MraLee's store,
said to REGISTER reporter: 81 was
awakened by noise, and looking out
OF the window saw the whole rear
end of the store on fire. | dressed
hastily and ran out into the street
and gave the alarm. then went
into the yard where / found MI Lee,
lying on his face and grooming as If
in great pain. | carried him to a
bench back of my shop and lett him
there while / went to help carry our
stuff out, There Was big lump on
the side of Lees head where he bad
been struck. ="
Mr.. Hall (Hall a. Barton) said; 81
was i'm the bake shop when | heard
the call of fire. ran at once to the
corner, and seeing where the fire was
ran there. Mr.. Barton was with me
and we kicked in the door and be-
gan carrying out the goods. Among
the first things we carried out was
barrel of oil. We carried out nearly
all the goods. When we first got
there the fire was all above the cell
ing"
ANOTHER ALARM.
About 10 o'clock Tuesday while
people were buslly diieussing the
other fire and the close call the bus
a