The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-31
The MASONIC LOSS.
Leicester Fire De-
stroys Diplomas and
Pictures.
THEORIES OF THE ORIGIN.
Many Prominent Men Dis
cuss the Cause and Of
fer Opinions.

Leicester, Aug. SO.-The members of
the Leicester Masonic Association,
whose room was destroyed by fire yes
terday morning, have engaged temp
orary quarters at the Hotel Leicester
The society has lost what is impossible
to replace.
ALI records and regalia of the old
Leicester Masonic Society. with the
first diplomas received by present
members of the association, which
were hung about the room, were
burned. Nothing can replace them. A
pool table bought for $500, a three
month clock and all the club furniture
also burned, and there was no insur-
ance.
President Henry Disco of the associa-
ton told Spy reporter today that he
thought The Spys estimate Of the loss
was correct. The society do not want
to have the impression go forth that
their rooms were used as club ROOM
and object to have them called a club
room. Mr.. Disco and Mr.. A. r. Esta-
brook were In the rooms the night be-
fore the fire. They left at 10.15 o'clock
Mr. Disco told q reporter he was sure
the fire did not catch from anything in
the Masons rooms. There was no
body in the rooms that night smoking
a cigar he said. If there had been
we had porcelain spittoons in which all
cigar butts were thrown. Any one
would have had to open the door at
the top of%the stairs to throw anything
out, and ] am sure neither of us threw
away anything which could have
smouldered and caused any fire. Mr.
Estabrook turned out the light Just as
I reached the lower step in the stairs,
and no light of any kind was left in the
room"
Mr.. Disco holds to the theory that the
blaze started in the cellar under the
room known as the office in the old fac
tory at the further end. The blaze did
not break through into O,Connor' S
store for some time after the fire had
burned through the roof There is only
wooden partition between the store
and the alley way, and Mr.. Disco holds
that the store would have been ablaze
long before if the flames had not been
on the other side of the stone founda-
ton under the factory building.
Another theory, Judging from the To-
mated around the water closet in the
rear of the alley way 1t is said that
the store was so full of smoke that no
one could get In before the flames broke
In. This goes to show that the flames
must have been somewhere in the al
leyway in order to be near enough to
the store to have filed it with smoke.
Arthur F. Estahrook is of the same
opinion as Mr., Disco. He thinks the
ftf.,.
would have caught long before 1T did
if the fire originated in the alley way
At the extreme west end of the alley is
a water closet which almost closed up
the space Back of that were barrels
of rubbish in which the fire might have
Started which would have blazed UP
easily.
George S. Whjttemore said tonight he
would probably have the house rebuilt.
Fl. o. Smith and ]. Whittemore Smith,
whose house was set afire came home
tonight. They did not hear of the fire
till the car was half way home.
Peter f. Reynolds, one of the oldest
residents of Cherry Valley, died this
afternoon at / 30 o'clock at the home of
his daughter. Mrs Thomas H. Berry
on Reservoir street, of old age. He
was a native OF county Longford, Ire
land. and had lived in this country 50
years with his wife. The couple first
! lived in Providence and Connecticut
and came to Leicester 33 years ago. For
several years ne was employed in the
finishing room at the Valley wooden
MIL. He owns place on Apricot street
but has lived with his daughter since
his wife died five years age. He was a
constant attendant at ST. Joseph
church Three children survive him,
Arthur T. Reynolds of Union, N. H,
Fred Reynolds, employed in E. D.
| Thayer's wooden mill, and Mrs. Thomas
H. Barry of Cherry Valley. The fune-
raj arrangements are not yet COM
pleted.
| Charles A. Warren OF Leicester ant
/ Mary A. Greenwood of IL Columbus
street, Worcester, were quietly married
at the home of the brides parents OF
| Columbus street this morning by Rev
D. c. Reid of the First Congregations
| church, Leicester Only a few relative;
| were present.
The couple left on the 11.45 train fol
| the west, where they will spend severa
months at Mr.. Warren's former home
Lake Benton, MINI Mr.. Warren is sor
| of Rev. Albert Warren and a grandson
| Of Charles w. Warren of the firm of G
| W. Warren & Sons
| Mrs. Selma Usher and Mr.. and Mrs
| George F. Piper left on the 11.45 trair
| from worcester, bound for California
where they will visit Mrs. Alice Ross
| in Tuscan City.
| The Cherry Valley baseball team viii
play the Barre team at Barre on Labol
day. Mr.. Rivers has engaged for bat
| terry connors and Martin.
The funeral of the 11-month-old chill
Of Walter Standard and wife o.
| Young street was held today. Rev
H. Humphrey conducted the services
and the BURIAL was at Cherry Valley
cemetery.
A party of S., consisting of the chill
| dren's choir and altar boys at the Sa
| cred Heart Church, Worcester had {
| trolley ride 10 Spencer today, and pic
| nicked at Sargent's grove, Leicester.
Mrs. John Williamson and Miss Mary
| A. Williamson are visiting relatives IL
Connecticut.
| Mrs. Henry l., Elliott was called tt
North Grosvenordale, Conn, yesterda,
| by the death Of her mother.
The family Of Billings Mann moved
to Worcester today.
Mrs. ]. O. Jordan has returned from
a long visit in Maine.
Miss Florence K. Watts left today fol
York beach. Me.
W. Walter Gould returned from York
beach today.
Officers James A. Quinn, John eager
and John M. Chenery arrested Annie
Lord for liquor selling at the Cutler
place last evening. She is well known
In poiioe circles, and was fined $50 In
the Worcester court today.