Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-19
" ANTED A BONFIRE
FOUR YEAR OLD DENsELL SMITH
SETS FIRE TO BARN oFATHE
w. w. CUMMINGS co.
Five Valuable Horses Are Burned to
Death - Loss is Estimated At 3d.
600 With An Insurance Of $1,000.
Boy Tells Mother of Starting Fire.

II wanted bonfire and so struck
match and set fire to a little bunch
of hay" was the explanation offered
by year old Densell Smith to his
mother Mrs. Bert Smith for starting
the blaze in barn in South Otutmwa,
yesterday afternoon which fesltited in
and loss of $4,000, The barn and con-
tents were the property of$the w w.
Cummings Co., and were only partial
ly insured.
The barn is ons the same lot as the
residence occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.
Bert Smith. This morning Mrs. Smith
stated to representative Of the Cou-
rier that she was standing in the door
way talking to w. w. Cummings yes
terday afternoon when her young son
slipped out of doors unnoticed. She
said that he must not have been at
the barn more than five minutes when
ne came running back crying Mamma,
mamma, the barn is on fire." Mr. Cum.
mings at Cnce rushed to the barn and
opened the door but already the struc-
ture was filled with smoke and the
flames had gained such Roadway that
1T was impossible. for him to reach the
horses and liberate them.
An alarm of fire was turned in about
o'clock but it was impossible for the
| firemen to reach the fire with line
of hose and they directed their efforts
| to saving the adjoining buildings by
the use OF the chemicals and in this
they were successful.
| Horses Burn to Death.
| A crowd soon gathered and several of
the women became hysterical as the
maddened horses struggled to break
their halters and escape. Five of the
most valuable draft horses of the w.
w. Cummings Ice Company were in
the barn and all of them burned to
death. Besides the horses, there was
a large quantity of feed in the barn.
Mr. Cummings places the total loss at
| $4,000 and the insurance at $1,000.
Tells of His Act.
This morning Mrs. Smith stated that
last night after the fire was all over she
questioned her boy in regard to the
matter and he said that he had struck
a match in the barn because he want
4 ed to have bonfire He is only 4
years old but older boys have taught
him to try to smoke and she said that
the report of other boys that he was
trying to smoke sawdust. in pipe when
he unintentionlly set fire to the barn
might be true. The boy is incapable
of realizing the great loss resulting
from his act. Mrs. Smith says that
she has tried in every way possible to
keep matches from him but in spite
of this he sometimes manages to get
i possession of them.
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith reside at III
First street in South Ottumwa and in
the rear Of the lot was the barn which
was burned. The ice houses of Mr.
Cummings are on the adjoining lot.
Other South Side Items.
i From Thursdays Daily.
4, j. o. Black, 1os North Ransom street
4 has returned from business trip to
Eldon.
Mrs. A. J. Byrum of Cleo, has bought
4 the Rev. A. G. Brown property, lis
North Ransom street.
Miss Laura Smith, 3O4 Hamilton
/ street, has returned home from a short
visit with friends in Eldon.
Miss Ona Hooking. of Bloomfield, has
arrived in the city, being called here
by the serious illness of her father.
Mr.. Hooking, of Batavia. is danger
1 ously i'll at the home of his sister, Mrs
j F. B. Shaw, 207k North Davis street
/ F., slagel, of Drakesville. is a guest