The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-25
Warrants For Four Men
Charged With Arson.
A NIGHT OF TERROR
Isaac StanIy, Witness Against
BIockaders, Awakened to Find
Three Buildings in Flames Fired
BY IncendiarY. Dynamite
Thunders Warning.
,Snecial TO News and Observer


Greensboro, N. c., April 24.-Yester-
day afternoon Deputy Collector Banks
drove into the city with two barrels
of whiskey, he had captured at the
home of James Richardson in Sumner
township as Mr. Richardson and fam
lily had sat down to dinner. Satur-
day night information reached the
revenue office here that a two horse
wagon with four barrels of blockade
Whiskey had crossed Deep river, and
was headed for Greensboro.
In Sumner township, there is nest
of blockaders, there recently shaving
been an exciting trial before Squire
Collins here of eight men out there
for dealing in liquor, and they were
bound over to the Superior court. In
the trials here, among other witnesses
for the prosecution was Mr.. Isaac
Stanly, father-in-law of Sergeant
Neely, of the city police force. Rich
ardson was among the defendants Ill
these trials. Officer Banks yesterday,
in trying to locate the storage place OF
the contraband whiSkey, was accom-
panied by Stanly and others of the
best men in the community. Two bar
rels of the four sought for, were
found in the smoke house of Richard
son, and were brought to Greensboro.
Richardson was not arrested because
the officer was not empowered to ar
located. There was not q sign of Il
stamp on either package.
Mr.. Stanly is one of the most pro-
gressive and well-to-do farmers in his
community, his home and outbuildings
being models of modern convenience
and arrangements, He was in Green's
boro this morning, and procured war
rants for the arrest of four men, who
were defendants in the whiskey in
dictments mentioned above, charging
them with arson.
Last night about eleven o'clock his
commodious barn, corn crib, machin-
cry and carriage house We're burned To
the ground. His dwelling and per-
haps his life and the lives of his fam
lily were saved by a blast OF dynamite,
which shook his dwelling like an
earthquake, and awoke the sleeping
members Of the family to find the
premises a sheet of fire and binding
light
This early awakening also saved the
lives of many valuable cattle and
horses, for before the buildings were
consumed the members of the fam
lily had been able to turn the stock
out, and the early arrival of alarmed
near neighbors, aided in saving some
of the machinery, one of two carriages,
and portion of the corn besides pro-
tecting other buildings on the prem
iseS.
Last night Mr.. Stanly and his fam
lily retired early, and late in the night
We're startled out of sleep by a thun
dering sound and shaking of the
dwelling, and crashing of window
lights which brought them out of bed
in a panic of fear and excitement.
The awful roar in that quiet neighbor
hood of thicllly settled farmers, in the
dead of night, caused others to awake
in Of
Mr.. Stanly's three buildings afire,
pointed the way for quick rescue
work
Two weeks ago, Mr.. s;tanly in prep
aration for blasting a new well had
purchased a box of dynamite, and
placed it in the second story of his
barn, just under the caves of the
north end furthest from his resi-
dence. Last night three buildings
broke out simultaneously in sheets of
fire on this north side, and q gallon
bottle which had contained kerosene
ell, found broken by the heat, showed
that these ends of the buildings had
been thoroughly saturated with oil be-
fore they were set afire.
The dynamite was just above where
the first shooting flames must have
gone under the caves, and either the
heat or the dropping of the box be-
low caused the explosion which gave
the warning, and probably saved the
lives of Mr.. Stanly and family, as well
as his dwelling and his stock, for they
were aroused before the fire had made
much headway.
The proof against the parties against
whom the warrants have been sworn
is said to be convincing, but for pru-
Dental reasons officers desire it to be
developed first at the investigation be-
for Squire Collins tomorrow.
Assistant to State Insurance
Commissioner Young, and Mr.
w. A. Scott, former chief
of police here, arrived on the train
today and is giving active aid in the
prosecution of the investigation. The
whole community in the vicinity of the
crime, is said to be UP in arms with
indignation at the outrage, and there
is already talk for self-protection of
banding together of lava biding citi-
zens for the purpose of unlawfully
if necessary ridding the community Of
whiskey frauds and it's attendant
crimes Of murder and arson against
those who denounce or expose them.
United States District Attorney Hol-
ton arrived tonight, and is in consul
tatiop with Revenue Agent Chapman
and Assistant Insurance Commission
Ell Scott, relative to issuing Federal
court warrants for parties implicated
in firing Stanly's houses in retaliation
for information leading to seizure OF
Illicit whiskey. Pending result of this
executive conference. magistrates
warrants have been delayed in service.
Later news from the neighborhood Of
outrage confirm reports that the ex-
cited citizens are difficult to restrain.