The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01
CHARGE AGAINST WILSON
HE Is ACCUSED OF SETTING FIRE
TO A BUILDING.
Som etime Ago Wilson Was Discharged
as Head Clerk of the Monarch
Grocery Company.

In the arrest of Charles Wilson on the
charge of arson the detectives are of the
opinion that they have the man that has
made three unsuccessful attempts TO burn
the building at ia East Washington street
Within three months fires have occurred at
that place. Suspicion has pointed to Will
son for some time, according to the story
of several of the tenants. He was arrested
yesterday afternoon by Detectives Colbert
and Hauser at the courthouse grocery on
East Washington street.
Detective Colbert, in speaking of the ar
rest, said Wilson was seen about the build
ing just prior to the last two fires. There
was a fire in the building Friday night
about o'clock 1t originated in a pile of
rubbish in an unused room. 1t was then
thought that the waste paper had been
ignited by some one. Gottlieb Koehler a
photographer on the third floor of the
building at ia East Washington street.
was among those in the locality who sus-
pected Wilson of setting fire to the build
ing. Wilson. up to last December, had
been employed by the Monarch Grocery
Company, which occupies the first and
part of the second floors OF ia. He was
chief clerk and was considered good man
in his line of work. He drank consider
ably, it was said, and for this was dis
charged by p. j. Ryan, who then had
charge Of the grocery. Wilson, since that
time, it is charged, has made attempts to
burn the building. The first fire occurred
March % in the storeroom of the grocery
on the second floor. The loss was small
but the origin could not be learned. W. J.
Davidson, who succeeded Mr.. Ryan as
general manager of the grocery, on the
morning after the first fire. questioned
each clerk closely about being in that room
the night before with matches. Each
had not been near the room that night. 1t
was conceded by the fire department and
others that the fire was caused by rats
eating into the matches.
The second fire occurred on May 10. This
time the fire was discovered in coal bin
which stands in the hall on the second
floor. One of the pine boards at the top of
the bin had been whitfield away and the
shavings which fell in the bin were set
afire. 1t was said yesterday by one of the
tenants in the building that Wilson was
seen coming out of the building a few
minutes prior to the second fire.
On last Friday night. at $50 o'clock, an
other alarm was sounded, as smoke was
seen pouring out of the windows on the
second and third floors of the buildings at
Nos. 112 and ia East Washington street.
After hard work on the part of the fire
the IRE WAS located III an I'M
used room on the second floor of the build
ing occupied by Berhardt's saloon. The
fire was in a pile Of waste paper which
was strewn the floor. The door leading
to the room was locked, but part of the
glass had been broken.
Wilson was there in the afternoon when
he came to Koehler's office on the third
floor. Koehler said Wilson came to his
office about 4:30 o'clock and was slightly
under the influence of liquor. He said he
did not care TO be bothered with Wilson
| in that state and asked him II he wanted
| TO take a walk. To this Wilson assented
and the two men went down stairs to Bern
hardt's saloon. While standing at the bar
| Wilson. koehler and Charles Klutz, the
| bartender. began to talk about the recent
/ fires in the building above. koehler said
| Wilson turned TO him and said: well, /
could tell a whole lot about those fires but
| I'm not going to do it, Koehler said he
| told Wilson TO refrain from further dis
| cussion of the matter. AS the man was
might make some rash statement that
would land him behind prison bars. Koch
| Ter says he and Wilson went out and Will
son started west on Washington street
| Koehler then returned TO his Office. About
| s o'clock he locked his Office door and
| bannister and saw Wilson crouching be-
/ hind the coal bin. Ii was dark he said
/ and Wilson him come to the edge OF
| the landing on the floor above.
| Koehler suspected Wilson's motive and
/ walked down stairs leisurely to ask the
/ other tenants uf the building 10 watch out
/ for a FIRE. Levi p. Harlan has a law office
/ on the second floor, but il was locked. He
| said the doors TO all the other rooms were
/ locked. He went out on the street, and as
| his then in front of the door ne
got aboard About an hour later he was