The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-03-08
ALLEGED
HUSBAND
OfAIice Wagoner Placed
Under Arrest.
IS HELD ON SUSPICION
Preliminary Trial Of Alleged
Fire Bug Held Before
Squire Bowmau
q Tuesday.


r Alice Wagner, accused Of arson,
was taken from the county jail Tues.
day morning to Justice Bowman's
Office for preliminary hearing. The
case still ATTRACTS considerable atten..
ton. A number of witnesses were
brought over. from Massil.on, among
them David Miller, who owned the
building that it is claimed Alice tried
to burn, and the two girls whose clothes
were partially destroyed by the flames
The testimony showed that the Wag-
oner woman was employed by Miller
at the time of the fire, and that prior
to that time he and the other two
girls who were working there at the
time had had some slight difficulty
with her. At the time of the fire, how
ever, there was apparently no ami
mostly existing.
No one saw the accused in the room
where the fire occurred, though she
had been left in there about fifteen
minutes before by one of the girls who
occupied the room. The other girls
and the barkeeper were in the room
adjoining and were first notified of the
fire by Alice Wagner crying out that
the house was on fire. 1t was also
testified by the states witnesses that
Alice Wagner got pitcher of water
and put the fire out herself.
Landlord Miller testified that the
amount of damage done the building
was SO and that the insurance company
paid him. 1t was claimed that Miller
accused Alice of the crime and kept
IS Of her pay back when she quit work
ing for him, which she did on her own
motion. She was not discharged, and
the wonder naturally arises and this
fact is in the prisoners favor, why
they did not discharge her at once.
One of the strong points made
against the Wagner woman is that
Lizzie Boegel, one of the girls who
had her clothing burned, threatened
to have Alice arrested If she did not
pay her SIS for the damage done her
clothes. At first Alice defed her.
Later, when asked which she would
rather do. submit to arrest or pay for
the clothes, she said she would pay
what she could. The defense of course
claims that this was wrung from her
by threats.
A letter written by Alice Wagner
to Miller. after she found out that she
was being Investigated by the fire mar
shall, was introduced In evidence. In
1t she stated that she would not run
away and was still in Canton. 1t
was written in a humorous strain. The
state will use 1t against her.
A sensation is promised in the case,
but whether it will be manifested in the
preliminary hearing has not been
made apparent. Tuesday night, OH.
GERS Ryan and McCloud, who had been
instructed to watch for him and not
let him escape the city, arrested Frank
Wagner, who is alleged to have been
living with Alice Wagner as her hus-
band. It is said that Wagner was
about to leave the city on Wheeling
train. He was taken to the city prison
and a charge Of suspicion placed
against him, but later he was placed
in the county jail and will be used as
a witness in the case. There is some
talk that an effort woulu be made to
implicate him in the crime, but Fire
Marshal Hollenbeck refused to be in
terviewed on the subject. Frank
Wagner, at the time of the fire, was
working for Miller as teamster, and
Miller testified that he and Alice were
living in the hotel as man and wife.
The day of the fire Wagner was not
seen about the hotel from noon until
bedtime, and just how he is to be i'm
plicated has not yet been made appa-
rent. He Is colored man, and 1t is
said that 1t is his name that Alice now
bears.