The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-16
lNGENDIARlSM SUSPECTED.
A SUNDAY NIGHT FIRE IN n. HAUSEgS
JEWElRX STORE.
Place Was Set on FIre-Mr. Hauser
Was Arrested on Suspicion, though
He Was at the Beach When eae Fire
Occurred.

Sunday night about $50 O'Clock Mrs.
Newman, a guest of h Bonitz House.
discovered fire IN the jewelry establish
ment OF II. Hauser, h Swiss assayer
and jweller, I2s Market street. nearly
opposite the hotel, lately occupied by
George Haar. Mr.. w. A. Bonitz. clerk
at the Bonitz House, was immediately
notified Of the fire and when he looked
in the direction of the store he heard
an explosion and saw a flash. A police
man tried but failed to send in an alarm
from box IL. at the foot of Market
street, so Mr.. Bonitz sent in a tele-
phone message to the fire department.
The engines and firemen were soon on
h spot and the fire was put out be-
fore any great damage was done.
While lighting the fire, Fireman
James Weinberg, Of Hook and Ladder
Company. No. 1, entered the second
story from the rear window and in the
darkness fell through an opening in the
floor, underneath a Skylight. He was
p~recipitated to the fioor below and was
badly but not seriously hurt about the
shoulder and side. When the store was
opened. Assistant Fire Chief ". p.
Monroe went inside and was painfully
burned about the neck and hands by
the falling of some melted wax figures
from a big clock of ancient design.
DR.. A H. HarrisS was called to the in
jured men. Captain Monroe was able
to be on duty yesterday, and Fireman
Weinberg expects to be out in a few
days.
The damage is estimated at $500, of
which Mr.. Hauser's stock suffered to
the extent of $3.50 and the building
about $50 from smoke. Mr.. Hauser
carried 81, 300 insurance of which there
was $500 on his tools 5000 on furniture
and fixtures. 5000 on stock, and S400 on
a curious big clock of peculiar pattern.
The building, a two story brick store,
belonging to Mr.. LouiS Hanson, is
insured for 81 .800. Insurance is carried
by Mr.. Hauser in companies represent
ed by Colonel Walker Taylor and J.
Van B. Nets. and Mr.. Hanson is in
sured with j. H. B~oatwright & Son.
INCENDLARISM SUSPECTED.
AS soon as the firemen got into the
store they suspected incendiarism and
found h is alleged to be strong evil
dence of it. When the firemen got in
fire was burning in the big clock but it
is believed TO have originated in the
second story and fallen through the
hole under the sky light. Strange to
say the fire went out UP stairs. The
firemen found a bottle of gasoline
in the clock. and up stairs theirs
was a large quantity of old papers
about the hole in h 1oo and a
string of straw OF the floor in which
a large number of matches were
strewn and three or four bottles
of gasoline stopped with pieces of pa
Fer. One bottle was broker and it is
believed that this was what caused the
explosion.
Mr.. and Mrs. HauSer occupy rooms
on h second floor but they were alb
sent, having gone to WrightSville
Beach at 2:30 p. m. When notified by
telephone of the fire they returned at
midnight
Yesterday ut 1890 o'clock Chief of
Police Furlong arrested Mr.. Hauser OF
a warrant sworn out by Fire Chief
set fire to h place. He was carried
before Mayor Pro Tenn H. P. West and
was represented by the Hon. John D.
Bethany IN an application for bond.
City Attorney VIM. J. Bellamy ap-
peared for n state. Bono was fixed
at $3.50 and it was given with Captain
F. w. Ortmann and Sol Sternberger,
Jr., as sureties.
Mr.. Hauser denies the charge against
him and the fact that he had been
away from his store several hour will
make him a pretty strong defense.
Chief Schnibben t~elegraphed Colonel
j. R. Young, Of Raleigh, state fire COM
as TO the circumstances Of
the fire and he will be here today to in
the fire. If the suspicious are |
Mayor Pro Tenn. West will !
give a preliminary hearing to MI. |
Hauser tomorrow morning at $3.50
in the municipal court. His |
bond is for his appearance e
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