The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-02

Co.'s.
What is believed to have been a malic-
ious attempt to burn out the commission
firm OF Tierney & Co., 81 East Third
street was perpetrated shortly before IL
O'Clock yesterday. and but for the prompt
action of members of the Arm, might
have proven moro or less successful
Subsequently the same miscreants,
doubtless, stole into the rear of the feed
storeroom and cut open several dozen
sacks of grain and feed, scattering the
contents rec1lessly about the floor. About
the same time maliciously-inclined indi-
Viduals entered the rear of Fliegler e.
Co.'S commission store, 81 East Third
street, and here also cut open a number
of sacks of flour, feed and grain.
The evidence of incendiarlsm in con-
nection with the fire, Mr.. Thomas Tierney
says, are complete. The fire was disccv-
cred in a pile of baied hay, near a rear
window The window Is ten feet above
the ground, where 1t could not have been
reached except with something to climb
| or stand on, and, leaning against the
! wall. was found a short ladder used by
| the firm in connection with high plat
| form where their stock is delivered. The
| ladder had been carried to the window,
| where the guilty person climbed up and
broke out several panes of glass, thus
bringing the baled hay within easy reach.
| From the Indications the hay was fired
in several different places, apparently 50
that the blaze might spread quickly. The
smoke drifted to the front part of the
| store, and Thomas Tierney, together with
| several employees gathered In the office.
rushed through the building to locate the
| fire. When they reached the rear room
| the pile of baled hay was ablaze. The
| fire had reached the ceiling, and the
| plastering was crumblinG away A few
minutes longer and the fire would have
| been among the rafters Immediate ac
| ton was necessary, and the windows
! were quickly broken out when an effort
| was made to throw the burning bales into
| the alley. This proved difficult, as the
bales are heavy. and. wrapped In fame,
| were difficult to handle. The task was
| finally accomplished, however, and with
| the arrival of the fire department the
danger was averted. The loss from fire
is not serious, as only the outside of the
| bales was burned.
The second attempt to injure the firm
was made shortly before o'clock in the
| afternoon. While the employees were busy
In the front part Of the store. some one,
believed to have been the same that are
| thought to have started the fire. entered
the rear sof the store and slashed right
and left among the grain sacks with
knife. The sacks were cut their entire
length. and their contents partially or
wholly dumped out Shortly after this
| new outrage had been discovered. 1t de-
| veloped that Fliegier g. Co.. two doors
below Tierney & Co., had been the vic
tins of like trick. In Fliegier & Co.'S
store the malicious individuals confined
their depredations to sacks of flour. going
through several piles, and Sitting open
the sacks, allowing the -four to spill out
on the floor
The police were notified of what had
happened, and Detective Hallowell was
dispatched to investigate the depreda-
lions. A number OF newsboys were found
congregated in the alley back of Tierney
& Co. 8, waiting for the first issue of a
new daily paper. Some OF the youngsters
are said to have had flour on their cloth
ing, and the patrol wagon was called,
with the intention of arresting the whole
lot of youngsters. This threatened to
stall the sale of the new paper, and the
management asked Chief Getchell to stop
the arrests. This the chief refused to do
but afterward Detective Hallowell re-
ported to the station that Mr.. Tierney
did not care to prosecute any of the boys,
and 80 the patrol wagon went back emp
ty.
Mr.. Thomas Tierney says he Is positive
that some of the boys set fire to the hay
at noon, and also cut open the sacks
afterward He says several OF the young
sters were despatched with -four, fact
sufficient. he says, to at least arouse the
suspicion that they may have been the
ones who ripped open the flour sacks at
Fliegler & Co.'S store.