The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-02-08
Young Man Arrested in Charles.
ton for Being a Firebug.
BE SET MANY FIRES.
The Accused Is q White Boy and Ad'
mits that lie Set Several Fires.
lie Is the Same Boy that Was
Nearly Killed by Tiger
Snmetire Aoo
Sometime Ago.

Sometime Ago.
The mystery OF the many fires that
occurred in Charleston last month
was cleared up by the arrest Of {
white boy BY the name Of Raymond
Bowman on Thursday. There hat
been about fifty fires In Charleston
since January ], and people were be-
coming alarmed at the thought thai
band OF frebugs had invaded the
city. No one for moment suspected
white by Of Charleston with being
the cause Of the fires. Bowman il
charged with setting fire to cotton ir
the East Shore Terminal Company's
shed, With trsspassing on the premises
OF N. Schmancke's hay and grain
store, with trespassing on the prem.
ises Of l.. Rhodes feed store, and with
attempting to rob the safe in the A.
G. L ticket Office In the Charleston
Hotel.
He was arrested at the hav and
grain store OF G. D. Gartleman s. Co.,
at noon Thursday by Detective John
E Brennan, Of the Charleston detec.
tive force, and lodged In a cell at the
central station. Bowman admits set
ting fire to the cotton, but said that
it was By accident through the throw
ing away OF a cigarette, and Chief
Boyle stated later Thursday after
noon that the prisoner had practical
ly admitted responsibility for the
series Of fires that have taken place
In Charleston during last month, by
which some $50, 900 worth OF proper
tt has been destroyed.
1t Is said that Bowman was the
first to warn Molony and Carter that
their place vas on FIRE the first time,
that be was among the first to warn
Manager Kent Of the FIRE at his
stable. BE was seen to leave the
warehouse OF Holony and Carter on
John street, just before the aEe start
ed, by John Aolony and the Southern
railway watchman. He was about
the Argyle hotel when the FIRE there
started q few days ago, and recently
went to work for MI. Arnold, whose
stables were burned Wednesday.
Detective Brennan had been shad.
owing Bowman all the morning, fol.
lowing him iato Gartlenan's store on
King street Thursday, and arrested
him at noon. Bowman was identified
by Messrs. Schmancke, Rhode, and
Molony as the person seen about their
PLACES, and Mr.. ". B, Wallace, who
has charge OF the telegraph station at
the Charleston Hotel, identified him
as the person caught trying to un-
lock the ticket ONCE safe at about Q
o'clock one night some weeks ago.
The first clue that turned the st-
tention Of the police to young Bow
man Was given by Mr.. Rhode and by
Mr.. Walpole at the Charleston Hotel,
who told If the attempt made By
Bowman to rob the safe. The boy
came into the Office late one afternoon
and asked the agent to change five
dollar bill. Mr.. Walpole went to the
safe, small tscn one under the north
counter, which Is unlocked by two
keys, and after be had finished using
his bunch Of keys he threw them on
the desk behind him. Young Bow
man left, and one Of the safe keys on
the bunch was found to be missing.
Later In the evening Mr.. Wallace
left the cndce to get some silver
changed into bills at the hotel desk,
and when be returned he looked over
the ticket counter and saw young
Bowman trying to unlock the safe.
When asked what he was doing, be
said that he was looking for some
thing. Ar. Wallace went for po.
licenan, and when he had left it Is
said that the boy jumped over the
counter and left the hotel through
the front entrance. He returned the
key next day, when Mr.. Walpole sent
foT It.
He was seen during the Charleston
Transfer Company tire, running into
Bailey and Lebby's store, and the
weight OF evidence worked up by De-
tective Brennan from information
gathered first through Mr.. Rhode.
and from circumstances that Molooy
and Carter thought ODD, and from the
A. G. L. ticket agent caused the
arrest of Bowman, on the charges
specified. In his confession to the
police Bowman practically admitted
the burning Of both Molony and Car
ter's places, and that OF Gartleman,
and two other places.
When arrested Thursday IN the tea1
Of Gartleman's hay and feed store
where the fire Of "Wednesday occurr-
ed, Bowman said that be had come tc
look at the work Of the hre. At
Rhodes and Sohmanke's, where he
was warned of he gave trivial excuses
for his presercs. Bowman is not
mere than sixteen years old, the SOD
OF Mr.. Saul Bowman, and lives at II
Anson street. Some years ago he
was badly bitten by tiger In q cage
Of show on King street, near Cal
houn. Ia was little fellow then
and had been permitted to enter the
cage Of the tiger, which cit him Sc
verely, and be was in the 1nfrnaary
for some time. BE Is understood to
have been married recen5ly in Au.
gusta.
The only motive that cln be as
signed to his strange actions Is that
OF robbery, 1t seeming to be the in
tent!on Of young Bowman to empty
the cash drawers Of the people whom
he excited by fire, and in their ab.
sence to avail himself Of the opportu-
nifty OF robbery. Perhaps sorae men
tai Weakness has been at the bottom