Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-02-22

Madison, Wis, February 15-The new,
of the burning OF the Eau Claire armOr,
was received here this morning. Tht
state has mortgage on the build
ing for $4,000, loaned in 1893 by act of tht
Legislature. No interest has beer
paid on this and with what has beer
spent for repairs the state has about
| $4,000 in the property, on which it has
insurance 5000, which with the lot re-
presents all that it will get out of the in
vestment.
The state land commissioners, from
whose funds the loan was made, say il
is not likely anything will be done by
the state toward rebuilding the armory
The insurance money will be collected
and the lot disposed Of.
The Light Guard armory. three
story frame building owned by the state
OF Wisconsin in Eau Claire, was burned
at $3.50 o'clock Saturday morning. The
cause Of fire is unknown. Nothing was
saved.
The building was occupied by Co. f,
| Third infantry, the Fraternal Order OF
Eagles, the Scandinavian Temperance go
ciety and Richardson's roller rink.
The total damage Is estimated at $25,
600. The state hae 5000 insurance on
the building, payable to the state treas
urer.
The fire caused great exc itment. The
horses OF No. 2 fire company ran away
and several hremen narrowly escaped Sc
riOus injury.
The large store of ammunition explod-
ed with tremendous effect.
Charley DecOrah, Winnebago Indian.
had an exciting time with wildcat near
La Caosse. in the town Of Shelby last
week Friday, in which two dogs were
killed and DecOrah himself narrowly es-
capped the teeth Of the rowing feline.
For some days the farmers Of the vi
cinity had known of the cats proximity
and finally called upon the trapper to 90
after it. The Indian chased the animal
into the thick woods and finally got a
shot at it but only wounded it. The
two dogs went after it gamely, but the
enraged cat killed one outright and
wounded and lacerated the other so that
it had to be killed. Decorah took an
other shot at it and apparently killed it..
Upon attempting to pick it up the ami
NAL received and made vicious plunge
at him, burying his teeth in his clothing
but not hurting him. A fierce hand to
hand conflict ensued in which the Indian
finally killed the animal with the butt Of
his gun. The county clerk gave him Sc
bounty for it, but the Indian said he lost
more than that in the dogs and clothing.
The fire department investigation by
the board OF police and fire commission
ers is getting more interesting as each
session goes by. From an investigation
Of last week Friday nights FIRE at La
Crosse the matter has turned out to be a
general and sweeping investigation Of
the department as whole and individ l.
al members Of it.
Friday night OF last week fire broke
out second time, in La Crosse doing
about $1,000 more damage. 1t So
happens that it was in the wholesale
district near the buildings owned by j.
j. Hogan, who is president Of the COM
mission, and naturally he wished TO
know how it broke out second time.
1t appears that some OF the f1renen
were overly anxious to load the biaine
on the shoulders of Capt. Frank Steusser
OF the central detail. 1t appears. how
ever, that Capt. SteusseI IDS Always been
strict disciplinarian and was espici-
ally hard on those members who persist
ed in getting drunk while on duty. He
their friends naturally soured on him.
He also diseountenanced the having OF
beer and intOxicants at the fire houses.
At another Of the houses faction
charges their particular commanding
| officer with feeding his horse on depart
ment oats and appropriating department
brO0ms and other articles.
1t is charged that the fremen had
whisky at Friday nights fire and that
two members were too drunk to respond
to the second alarm.