St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-03-29
PARISH JAIL
BURNED.
.
TWoPrisoners
Crenndted.

The Parish Jail was completely
destroyed by fire last Sunday morn
ing. Two men, a German and a
negro, persisted in the flames.
1t was about 1880 o'clock when
Hardy Smith, one of our leading
merchants, in passing near the
courthouse was attracted by cries
of help coming from the east side
of the Jail, aud upon looking to-
ward the building saw smoke is
suing from the west side window,
and realized that the Jail was on
fire. He Immediately gave the
alarm. and in a short while a large
crowd of people had gathered OF
the scene. There were two pris-
oners IN the jail, q German by the
Ernest Gsrlieb, and a negro,
named Frank Nicholson. Garlieb
was a native OF Berlin, aged about
forty-tive years, and had been a
resident of this parish for about
eight years. He was engaged IN
farming on piece of land, which
he owned, about two miles from
here. He had been in Jail about
six weeks, awaiting Introduction
for insanity, and his mania was
FIRE, The other prisoner, Frank
Nicholson, colored, was also a
resident of this parish, He was
arrested at 10 O'Clock Saturday
night and placed IN Jail on the
charge of being drunk and Great
ing a disturbance at a negro ball.
A messenger was at once dis
patched to the home of the jailer,
Adam Perrilloux, for the keys, but
he said the keys were in the posses.
sion of deputy sheriff Eugene Du-
priest. The messenger proceeded
to the home of the deputy, and the
latter being Informed of the trouble
went at once to the jail. Fully
twenty minutes elapsed from the
time of the discovery Of the fire to
the time of the arrival of the depu-
ty sheriff, aud IN that time the fire
had gained considerable Roadway.
Immediately upon his arrival Mr..
Dupriest opened the door, but the
interior of the Jail was already one
mass of flames, and it was impossi-
Bile to reach the doomed prisoners,
whose cries for help by this time
we're heartrendlug. An effort was
made to break through the roof,
but this had been constructed of
heavy timber and proved impreg.
1able, and the people who had
gathered about the Jail realized that
nothing could be done for the
prisoners, and that they must dle.>
The fire department, which had re.
|ponded to the alarm, now turned
Is attention to the protection of
he surrounding buildings, and
through its efforts the flames were
,on6ned to the Jail, and no other
building was damaged. AT IL
o'clock only the four charred,
tracked and broxen walls remained.
No definite information is OBJ.
regarding the origin of
he fire, nor is it known exactly |
Vhere It originated. 1t is believed,
however, that the fire was delibcr.
telY set by Garlieb, the German,
ear the door on the lower floor,
nd that he obtained matches
'robablY from the drunken negro
Nicholson, who had been incarcer-
ted in Jail Saturday night. Gar
ieb had repeatedly threatened to
ct hre to the Jail, and had on sew.
raj occasions asked for matches,
ut had been refused. and strict
riders had been given by the sher-
+ not to give matches 10 Carried
or place any prisoners in Jail with
catches on their person.
Sheriff Brewster was seen by the
INES Democrat correspondent and
sked for 9 statement. He said:
l was at my home, about nine
lilies from Covington, when l was
gifted by telephone that the jail
as on fire aud was asked where
ere the keys. / replied that the
eys were in possession of the
Iiler, who always keeps them. l
to town as fast as my
orse could carry me, and when l
rived here the structure was al