The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-02-10
CAUGHT GA AT LAST
Young Man Arrested in Charles.
Ton for Being a Firebug.
BE SET MANY FIRES
The Accused Is White Boy and Ad'
nlts nit that He Set Several Fires.
sHe Is the Same Boy that Was
Nearly Killed by Tiger
Sometime Ago.

Nearly Killed by Tiger
Sometime Ago.
The mystery of the many fires that
occurred In Charleston last month
was cleared up by the arrest OF u
white boy BY the name of Raymond
Bowman on Thursday. There had
been about fifty fires in Charleston
since January ], and people were be-
coming alarmed at the thought that
band OF firebugs had invaded the
city. No one for moment suspected
white boy of Charleston with being
the cause Of the fires. Bowman is
charged with setting fire to cotton in
the tEast Shore Terminal Company's
shed. with trespassing on the premises
Of M. Schmancke's hay and grain
store, with trespassing on the prem
tsess- II. Rhodes feed store, and with
attSt5pting to rob the safe in the A.
O. I1lticket office in the Charleston
was arrested at the hav and
gfaltFstore OF Q. D. Gartleman s. Co.,
at I0pn II iursday by Detective John
% Bfennan, Of the Charleston detec.
tiveSoTce, and lodged in a. cell at the
central station. Bowman admits set
tingSlre to the cotton, but said that
tMaS by accident through the throw
ing away OF a cigarette, and Chief
Byte stated later Thursday after.
noon that the prisoner had practical
lyaS hltted responsibility for the
sefis3of fires that have taken place
in Charleston during last month, by
2htoh some $50, 900 worth of proper
ty ba9 been destroyed.
said that Bowman was the
first 10 warn Molony and Carter that
theiE place was on FIRE the first time,
that he was among the first to warn
Manager Kent Of the fire at his
stahse He was seen to leave the
wassa onse Of Molony and Carter on
join street, just before the Hre start
ed, John Molony and the Southern
rails ybwatchman. He vas about
Esse zsylc Hotel when the fire the.e
staYtsdsa few days ago, and recently
went to work for Mr. Arnold, whose
stables were burned Wednesday.
Detective Brennan had been shad.
owing Bowman all the morning, fol-
lowing him into Gartleman'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.. W. 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 office safe at about 8
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 Ho5el,
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, a small iron one under the north
counter, which Is Unlocked by two
keys, and after he had finished using
his bunch OF keys he threw Them on
the desk behind him. Young Bow
man lett, and one OF the safe keys on
the bunch was found to be missing.
Later In the evening Mr. Wallace
left the Cfflce to get some silver
changed Into bills at the hotel desk,
ard when he 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. Mr.. Wallace went fot po.
liceman, 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
| for 1t.
He was seen during the Charleston
Transfer Co npany 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 Molony
and Carter thought odd, and from the
A. O. 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 reaI
OF Gartleman's hay and feed store
where the fire of Wednesday occurr
ed, Bowman said that he had come tt
look at the work OF the fire. a.
Rhodes and Schmankes, where h,
was warned Off he gave trivial excuse!
for his presence. Bowman Is no
moro than sixteen years old, the sor
Of Mr.. Saul Bowman, and lives at l.
Anson street. Some years ago h,
was badly bitten by tiger In a cage
OF show on King street, near Gal
hcun. He was little fellow ther
and had been permitted to enter the
cage Of the tiger, which DIT him Sc
verely, and he was in the inirmarJ
for some time. He is understood tt
have been married recently In Au
gusta.
The only motive that can be as
signed to his strange actions is tina
OF robbery, it seeming to be the in
tention Of young Bowman TO empty
the cash drawers Of the people whom
he excited by fire, and in their ab
ssnce to avail himself of the opportu
nifty OF robbery. Perhaps some men
TAI weakness has been at the bottom