The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-12
THE SUPERIOR COURT
The HsUSeR MCeEDisRy CASE SILL
ON TRIAL,
A Large Number of Witnesses Ex-
amined by the state and Then Il Rest
ed-Nr. Hauser Called to the stand TO
Testify I'm Ills Own Behalf

yesterday al $50 a. m, His Honor
Judge Oliver II. Allen presiding.
The trial OF the case against H.
Hauser. charged with setting fire TO
his store. 122 Market street, on Sunday
night August 18th. was resumed.
The prosecution recalled policeman
]. VI. King who testified that when he
tried the store door at S p. m on the
night of the fire he found IL locked.
Henry Newman was called as a wit
ness. He boards at the Bonitz house
opposite the store and was one OF the
first at the fire. Described the prepa-
rations made for burning the place.
telling about the trails OF paper. excel
sior. hay, etc
Coloael Walker Taylor. insurance
underwater. was a witness for the state.
He testified that he had $500 insurance
on Hauser's effects and visited the
place after the fire. He infinitely de-
scribed the preparations made to burn
out the establishment.
j. VanB. Metts, another u~nderwriIer.
also described the ~incendiary plot. He
testified that he carried $500 insurance
for Hauser in June but that on the 10th
| VI u Xix dNSOoCu AAS bOA@
cies and la $500 insurance when the
fire occurred. He said he did not look
at the furniture up stairs.
Policeman J. b. Newkirk testified
that he reliever officer king as guard
over the place on the morning after the
fire. He said no n was allowed to
enter the place.
Joseph D.. Smith, former underwater.
was a witness for the state. He visited
| and thoroughly examined the premises
to ascertain whether they had been
set on fire. He said the evidences of
incendiarism were plain and gave a
detailed description of the preparations.
He examined the furniture and house
hold goods up stairs and testified hat
in his opinion all Of it was not worth
over SIS. He saw some books but most
of them were works on agriculture.
He, however, did not thoroughly exam
inc the books.
J. F. Maunder was called by the
state. He is a salesman at the paint
and oil establishment of M. w. Divine
& Co. He testified that fo- more than
a yea about once a fortnight he sold
Hauser five gallons of gasoline which he
said he used in his lamps and business.
He always bought fluid open and above
board.
Chief of Police John ]. Furlong testi-
fled for the state. He visited the store
after the fire, and gave a description
that corroborated the other witnesses.
He said Hauser told him that the bot
tie found in the wonderful clock was
a part of the talking machine. (The
clock played music and called out the
hours just before it struck.)
w. T. Smith. mechanical craftsman,
was put up by the state. He exhibited
a drawing of the lower and upper floors
of the premises but the court ruled il
out. He, however. was allowed to give
a description of the premises as he saw
them.
E. P. Bailey was examined for the
state and he also ave a fine description
of the incendiary arrangements.
George Harriss testified and gave a
description as he saw it. He said
Hauser told him the bottle found in
the talking clock was used as a
weight; that he Intended to put the
clock on exhibition. He further testi-
fed that Hauser told him that he did
not leave the store in the condition in
which it was found when he returned
from the sound after the fire. Hauser
also told him he had some enemies that
may have set fire to the store.
c. H. O'Berry was a witness for the
state and gave a graphic description
OF the preparations to burn out the es-
tablishment. Jake Solomon also testi-
fed along the same line.
William Sheehan, Jr., who was form
ely III hliNLS" III lCal L
agent, testified that Hauser rented the
store where the fire occurred and thai
he went there and collected rent from
HauSer.
Peter Hawkins, colored, employed by
NJ. w. Divine & Co, testified that he
carried gasoline from the store to
HauSer at his place of business.
Colonel John r. Young, of Raleigh,
state insurance commissioner, testified
that he came here on being informed
of the incendiary attempt, and made a
thorough examination. He gave a de-
tailed description of the premises up
stairs and down stairs.
]. Goldstein testified that he has a
store n dwelling above, next door to
Hauser's place of business. He was
there on the night of the fire. He said
nobody could have gotten through the
gate on the alley back of his store. One
could, however, get in through Bellois'
store and climb onto the real of the
building and thus reach the skylight
over HauSerS store. Mrs Goldstein
also testified and told the situa-
ton OF affairs when the firemen ar
rived. Here the prosecution rested.
The defence then called Hauser, the
defendant, to testify in his own behalf
HIS testimony was mainly as follows.
Il was born in Switzerland and have
lived 9 years in North Carolina. Have
lived in Beaufort two years and a year
in New Bern and the rest of the time
in Wilmington. / am a matchmaker
and jeweler and an assayer. On the
Sunday of the fire Mr.. J. Berechoff and
Mr.. A H. Gearhardt were 1t my store
between l and 2 o'clock, when 1 left to
go to the sound. I took the street car
for the Seacoast depot but missed the
train. l returned TO Mr.. OrreIrs stable
where 1 hired a horse and buggy and a
boy drove me to the sound. 1 spent the
afternoon at Paul Cases with
some friends. Somewhere about
O'Clock Mr.. Paul Case inform
ed me hat he had a phone message
saying my store was on fire. I hirried
a buggy and drove back to town reach.
Ing here at IL O'Clock at night. I wen,
Immediately to my store. 1 saw that my
clock had been urned and my premises
In such condition that I could not sta
there that night, SO I returned to thu
sound My clock was the work of p
years. Years in thinking 1t out ant
six years in bringing II to the state 4
was In at the time of this fire. It wa.
i twelve feet hfOh fnr~ F4a< IL =