The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-21
WHITE MAN
USED TORCH
Destroyed Plant Of Floor
ing Company.
INVESTIGATION OF FIRE
Witnesses Tell of Sunday
Morning COnflagratiOn.
Night watchman Who Saw Incendiary
Stands Firm On His Original
Statement-Jury VIII Re-
turn Verdict Today.

l
Rift Flooring Company, in West Mont
gomery. which was destroyed by fire
early Sunday morning was set afirs
| with criminal intent, was established
beyond doubt by testimony taken yes
terday by jury organized by Sheriff
| w. r. Waller to investigate the origin
| of the fire.
! The further fact was developed by
| the investigation that the torch was
| applied by white man and not by
| negro This development disposes of
| the theory advanced by workmen at
| the mill that the plant was destroyed
| by negroes who were aggrieved at be-
| ing discharged from the employ of the
| company.
| Identity Unknown.
| No testimony was drawn from the
| seven witnesses examined by the jury
| that pointed to the identity OF the cul-
! prit, and no clue to the motive for the
crime was obtained.
i At 80 o'clock yesterday evening the
| fire jury concluded the examination of
witnesses and adjourned until $3.50
o'clock this afternoon when members
of the jury, Sheriff Waller and Hon.
E. r. McDavid, State Insurance Com
missioner, will visit the scene of the
fire. They expect to return to the
court house at 4 o'clock when the Jury
will agree on its verdict, which will he
sealed and forwarded to the Insurance
Commissioner by Sheriff Waller.
The fire jury, it will be remembered.
was organized Tuesday by Sheriff Wall
Ter under instructions from Insurance
Commissioner McDavid. who acted UNI
der Section 260S of the State Code at
the request of interested insurance
agents.
The destroyed property was insured
for $54,350. Thomas Palmer, resident
manager of the company, estimated
the loss at 100000.
Sheriff Waller appointed on the fire
jury L. Lasseter. w. J. Gardner and
william Knox. Sheriff Waller and the
Insurance Commissioner are the ex
offfcio members of the jury, and they
sat with 1t in the office of the sheriff
at the court house. where the investi-
cation was conducted.
An Open Session.
The law provides that the investiga-
ton may be conducted openly or pri-
vately at the discretion OF the jury.
1t was decided to hold an open ses-
sion.
When the jury met at 4 o'clock yes
terday afternoon, Pat McGauly and
Thomas Taylor were appointed clerks
D and Mr.. Lasseter was selected as fore
. man.
Seven witnesses had been summoned
and all of them We're present. They
were. Thomas Palmer. resident man.
;. niger of the flooring company; H. G.
+ Hall, night Waterman at the plant
!. L. r. Grace foreman of the plant; A. C.
$ Dryden, an employee of the company
S Thomas J. Lewis. night host1er at the
v round house of the Mobile and Ohie
Railroad, which Is located near tn,
scene: c. l.. Tucker, night watchmar
II at the plant of the Montgomery Lum-
Der Company, and Mack Benham. the
r night fireman at the plant, negro
q Benham was the only negro witness.
$ The examination was conducted IL
d a somewhat Informal manner, but al
OF the witnesses were placed under the
rule. Each witness was Intercepted
e by members of the jury Sheriff Walle
e and Insurance Commissioner McDavid
r. stenographic report of the testi
q mony was made by Mr. McGauly.
" Manager Palmer Testifes.
Manager Palmer of the plant was thu
first witness examined. He testified
e that he was first notified of the fir
I, by Mr.. Dryden, who awakened him n
u his home, 307 Washington Street. Fl
d and Mr.. Dryden and another gentle
man drove to the fire. a distance o
nearly three miles, in carriage. Fl
thought it was shortly after 2 o'clocl
when he reached the fire. The fire wa
first discovered by Night Watchma
Hall at 1 30 o'clock. Mr.. Palmer toll
III of the efforts to stop the spread of tn
fire. He could not undertake to as
III cribe any motive for destruction of tn
e. plant. He said he had made all inves
n tigation possible of the cause of tn
W. fire. Mr. Palmer was not asked abou
er the loss or insurance on the property
I. Night Waterman Hall was the mos
m important witness examined. He dis
Is covered the fire in three places. A
once and widely separated. He state
positively that he saw a white ma
n run from one of the dry kilns just be
st fore 1t broke into flames. The ma
n ran west and in the direction of tn
Id railroad roundhouse Mr.. Hall wa
n, not close enough to the culprit to re
la cognGe him, but he was emphatic /
r. his statement that he was a whit
II. man.
Familiar With Plant.
Mr.. Hall said that at 1 o'clock h
es inspected the dry kilns and that til
is large doors were closed. When til
ar fire broke out in these kilns at 1:2
ks o'clock the doors were open. EVIDENT
they had been opened by some on
familiar with them.
as The witness told of the waterwork
en- system at the plant having been tan
III pared with and said steam was nc