The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-02-10
CAUGHT A AT LAST.
Young Man Arrested in Charles.
ton for Being a Firebug.
BE SET MANY FIRES.
The Accused Is White Boy and Ad
n,lts that lie Set Several Fires.
lie 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 6
white boy BY the name Of Raymond
Bowman on Thursday. There ha6
been about fifty fires in Charleston
sinle January ], and people were be.
coming alarmed at the thought that
baud of frebugs had invaded the
city. No one for q moment suspected
a white boy OF Charleston with being
the cause OF the fires. Bowman is
charged with setting fire to cotton In
the gEast Shore Terminal Company Is
shed, with trespassing on the premises
Of M. Schmancke's hay and grain
store with trespassing on the prem
tses'1 II. Rhodes feed store, and with
| atteLlpting to rob the safe in the A.
Q. GH3ticket Office in the Charleston
Ho.. s.
E@.was arrested at the hav and
gruIsy store OF @. D. Gartleman s. Co. =,
at noon u lursday by Detective John
e sBgennan, Of the Charleston detec-
tiveSorce, and lodged in a cell at the
central station. Bowman admits set
tlngsdre to the cotton, but seid that
twas by accident through the throw
Ing gsAway Of cigarette, ard Chief
B3ple5 stated later Thursday after.
Moon that the prisoner had practical
hitted responsibility for the
serlSsof fires that have taken place
in Charleston during last month, by
1hteh some 100000 worth of proper
ty has been destroyed.
US. said that Bowman was the
first 20 warn Moiony and Carter that
thei place was on fire the first time,
that he vas among the first tD warn
Manager Kent Of the fire at his
6tahses He was seen to leave the
wara hause Of Molony and Carter on
JOHN strest, just before the FIRE start
ed: VI ohm Molony aud the Southern
lrstIT Iwatchman., He was ABOUT
ts.s ,sYles "a Hotel when the fire there
lstaYGedfa few days ago, and recently
went to work for Mr.. Arnold, whose
stables were burned Wednesday.
Detective Brennan had been shad.
lowing Bowman all the morning, fol.
lowing him into Gartleman's stoie 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 9t-
tention Of the police to young Bow
man was given by Mr.. Rhode and by
| Mr.. Walpole at the Charleston Hotel,
who told of the attempt made by
Bowman to rob the safe. The boy
came into the Office late one afternoon
and asked the agent to change a five
dollar bill. Mr.. Walpole went to the
safe, 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 left, 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,
and when he returned he looked over
the ticket counter and saw young
Bowman trying to unlCck the safe
When asked what he was doing, be
said that he was looking for some
thing. Mr.. Wallace went for po
liceman, and when he had left 1t 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 duling the Charleston
Transfer Co npany tire, running into
Bailey and Lebby's store, and the
weight OF evidence worked up by De
tectlve Brennan from information
gathered first through Mr.. Rhode
and from circumstances that Molonl
and Carter thought odd, and from tht
A. @. L. ticket agent caused the
arrest of Bowman, on the charge.
specified. In his confession to tn.
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 rea
of Gartleman's hay and feed stor
where the fire OF Wednesday occurr
ed, Bowman said that he had come t,
look at the work of the fire. A
Rhodes and Schmanke's, where h
was warned of he gave trivial excuse
for his presencs. Bowman Is no
more than sixteen years old, the sol
Of Mr.. Saul Bowman, and lives at L
Anson street. Some years ago h
was badly bitten by tiger In a Gag
of show on King street, near Gal
houn. He was little fellow ther
and had been permitted to enter tn,
cage Of the tiger, which Dit him Sc
verely, and he was In the inirmary
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, 1t seeming to be the in
tention Of young Bowman 10 empt,
the cash drawers OF the people whom
he excited by tire. and in their ao
ssnce to avail himself Of the opportu
nifty OF robbery. Perhaps some men
tai weakness has been at the bottom
If hfa acttnop Tho ,,ouo+orr of ~,