The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-05
AN INVESTIGATION MADE
Burning Of the Cent Store Being Looked
Into
BEFORE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE MALSCH
nminntion--Thc Evidence Adj
duccd ut the Trial.

l.
the Cent store in the Rice building sun
day night is being made by Chief Hussey
OF the fire department, In Justice Malsch' &
court. Yesterday afternoon the testimony
Of number of witnesses, including the
propriotors OF this store, bremen, watch
men and others who we're present, was
taken before a jury looking to solution
Of the origin Of the FIRE,
The evidence brought out in the exam
nation BY Chief Hussey of the several
witnesses put on the stand lie in substance
aD follows:
y. w. Cook, night Waterman at the
Capitol hotel. said he was around the
premises about l n. m, he found no FIRE.
About eight minutes later the engineer,
Robert Lawrence, told him OF the fire. He
saw the flames IN the second story from
the rear and turned in an alarm from a
watChman boz on Mr.. Cohens door He
saw the fire IN only enc store The three
stores were divided with partitions. He
Jaw no one around the place at that time.
The iron gate TO the entrance of the alley
way was locked.
Robert Lawrence, the night engineer at
the Capitol hotel. He had seen no one
about Weingarten Il Adels place OF bust
less that night. He was down below in
the engine room When he first saw the
IRE 1t was burning a solid sheet of flames
on both sides OF the partition wall. His
attention wes first drawn to the fire by a
lot of smoke coming down the stairway
TO the engine room. He has examined The
partition wall since the fire and found that
II was not burned through. Both gas and
electricity were used in the stores The
lights were turned of in the stores carly
in the night. The front doors were all
locked and boxes were piled up against
the doors Of the storage room on the inside
giving the iiremen q good deal OF trouble
in making an entrance. There were also
boxes piled up against the window on the
inside of the store room. The Capitol no.
tel boilers are Immediately under the
stores. but no fire could have gotten from
here into the stores, as IA brick and steel
lathe ceiling was over the boiler the
whole covered with asbestos. lie smelled
no oil about the place. There was no eX-
plosion of any kind.
Miss Lille Archer, who lived across the
street from the Cent store, saw two men
around the store about . o'clock. One
went into the storage room. One of the
men was an employee OF the store. The
place was dark when the man went IN
lie remained In the storage room about five
minutes and then came out and went int
the other store. The lights went up after
they came out of the store The man
VINO entered the building was MIR. Abel
Mr.. Wengarten stood outside Both men
walked toward Prairie avenue The man
who went into the building is standing ON
the sidewalk. Yes. this was the man.
a. q. Abel said his business was that
| OF a merchant at 500-511 Travis street
| said some one awakened him Sunday and
| told him there was a fire at his store:
lives at IA Milan street Is a married
man. Father and brother lives with him
| The man who walked him was Otto Hogan
| am the junior member of Weingarter
& Abel. We were on the eve OF opening
up store at Beaumont and would have
shipped goods there the end of this week
] was at my store at o'clock. Had moi
been open Sunday. Went there to turr
electric lights on. We burn four light!
all night, Building has been rewired UNI
! der supervision OF city electrician Did
not 90 into wareroom There are no gas
Jets or lights OF any kind In the wareroom
/ Burn gas on Saturday nights in store
I There were six gas jets in store. SOME
OF the gas pipes are down. DO not know
whether the meter has been read since
/ FIRE Mr.. Wangarten IS the senior mem.
Der of the firm, Talked to engineer o.
electric plant Of Capitol hotel Asked
! him to turn on lights so that I could put
on light In store There are two switches
one in each side of store. We were pack
( ing some goods to be sent TO Beaumont
! Wareroom and store We're about equally
/ damaged. Have no oil lamps In the build
J ing; am positive. Have no occasion t.
use oil of any kind Did not go to money
/ drawer when | went into store There are
/ always few small coins left in the drawer
on Saturday; probably 81 or So. Yes,
recognize those coins. Value of stock was
! $4,000 to 100000. Had lust come bacF,
! from the East, where bought about 5000
worth OF goods. When we took stock in
January 1t amounted TO about S2S 900. Have
been connected with Mr.. Weingarteu in
business for eight years, Our stock con-
sisted of a medium grade OF goods. This
is the first fire we have ever had. We have
several employees who have been In BUSH
ness for themselves Mr.. Miller is clerk
and a brother in-law Of mine When
went into the store Mr. Weingarten was
outside | only remained In the store long
enough to turn on lights; just walked TO
rear of store and back to front. had a