Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-13
Roland Citizens Suspicious But
Lack Conclusive Evidence
Regarding Recent Fire
INSURANCE ADJusrERs AT WORK
They Will Probably Assist in Ferretins
Out the Crime if There is One =
Plans Of the Firms Whose Buildings
and Stocks We're Destroyed in the
Conflasration.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Nevada, July 13.--Was the recent
$4,000 fire at Roland the result of
incendiarism? Might the word AR
J SON be used in the description of t?
These are the questions that have been
agitating the people of that town since
| the fire occurred. While the citizens
there have pronounced suspicious,
without conclusive evidence they have
| little to say on the subject but every
| thing in their power is being done TO
either confirm their suspicious or allay
them. Circumstances which happened
previous to the fire, circumstances con-
nected with the discovery of the con-
| f1agration, happenings during the fire
and actions of certain people suisse
quent to the fire have caused the peo-
| pie of the town to believe that there
| is something rotten In connection with
| it.
| The insurance adjusters are on the
grounds today and it is not improbable
that they will lend their efforts to as
sisting in the ferreting out of the
crime. If there be one.
The losses to Johnson g. Michaelson
Bros. is now estimated at $4,000 with
$500 insurance. This firm have not
as yet fully decided whether to rebuild
or not. Part OF their stock was saved
and it is likely that they will seek tenn
porary quarters and dispose of these
goods at fire sale prices The ques-
ton of rebuilding will be considered
later. Schlanbusch. who had an $S,-
900 loss with $4,000 insurance, has
already established himself in temper
airy quarters. ordered a small stock
of goods and has plans on foot for the
erection of a modern new two-story
brick structure. into which he will in
stall his stock. Duea, Jacobson &
Boyd, who suffered a considerable loss
thru the removal of their stock from
the building, near the scene of the fire,
and from smoke and water. are moving
back into their quarters as rapidly as
they can be cleaned up. and the in
surance adjusted. The bank building is
being repaired and will soon be really
for occupancy. 1t is hardly thought
probable that d. l.. Hoefle. in whose
store the fire started. will rebuild. Mr..
Hoefie traded for the stock about
year ago, also acquiring the building.
At the time it was not definitely known
whether he would remain in business
In Roland or not. The stock was clos
ed pretty Well down and it was at one
time supposed that he intended moving
the remains to Gowrie, where he had
another stock. Some time ago. how
ever, he gave out the statement that
he intended stocking up the store again
and continuing the business. He was
not in the city the night OF the fire,
having left the day previous. He re-
turned the evening after the fire and
was in the city but couple OF hours,
when he and his clerk, the man who
discovered the fire, left town again.
While there he made no statement re-
garding his intentions of rebuilding and
continuing in business in that city. His
stock and buildings were estimated to
be worth about $4,000, with $4,000 in
surance.