Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-01-19
ARE GUILTY Of ARSON
Thomas Harvey and Wife Con-
yicted of Burning Their
Hotel at Glidden
TWO MEN LOST THEIR LIVES
Jury, After an Exciting Trial at Car
roll, Finds the Defendants Guilty of
Setting Fire to BuiIdine-Both Were
Young and Only Recently Married
Possibility of Murder Charge.

Possibility OF Murder Char9e..
Carroll, Jan. 19-The Harvey arson
case, in which the defendant was ac-
cused Of setting fire to the hotel at
Glidden, where the Hobbs brothers
were burned to death, went to the jury
Wednesday, and verdict of guilty
was returned last night. EX-County
Attorney Reynolds, who was assisting
c. C. Helmer with the prosecution, oc-
cupied all the forenoon with the ar
gument for the state. Saturday the
defense made q motion that the case
be taken from the jury and a verdict
of acquittal be rendered. The court
| took it under advisement until Mon
day and the motion was overruled.
Neither of the defendants in this
case is over 2S years of age. They
have been married a little more than
q year. Harvey was born and raised
in Glidden, and his wife came from
Dexter. For several months prior to
the fire the Harveys We're in charge Of
the City Hotel at Glidden, and at the
| time it was consumed it was rumored
that Harvey and his wife set the
| fire.
The Circumstances.
| Many peculiar circumstances devel-
oped during the progress Of the trial.
| The state showed that the defendants
had removed some boxes of household
goods from the motel a few days prior
| to the fire and had subsequently
brought them to Carroll and shipped
them to Dexter. Thomas Harvey and
his wife came to Carroll and took the
train for Dexter, passing thru Gid
den, and that when passing thru Gid
den they tried to conceal themselves:
| that the piano had been removed pre-
vious to the fire; that the property was
insured for 5000 when it was worth
only about $500.
The sympathy Of the public was with
the defendants on account of their age,
for it did not seem possible that cou-
pie so young in years could carry out
such a scheme.
| Fully fifty witnesses were summoned
| in this case and the expense to the
county will be no small sum. Large
| crowds filled the court room every day
| and standing room has been at pre-
| MUM, during the progress Of the trial.
| While the charge on which the Har-
veys have been tried and found guilty
| is arson it is rumored that they will
| have to appear before the next grand
jury on more serious charge, that of
murder The penalty for arson in this
| case is penitentiary for life.
! Story of the Fire.
1t was on the night of August 5, 1904,
that the City hotel at Glidden was de-
stroyed by fire. together with four 9TH
err buildings and contents. The fire
originated in the hotel and w. G. Har-
vey the landlord, and his wife and SER
want girl had barely time to escape
1t was shortly after midnight when the
flames were discovered. The Carroll
fire department was called upon but by
the time they arrived on the scene the
local company had the flames under
control and the Carroll fire apparatus
was not unloaded from the car.
The loss of two lives made the Incl
dent most horrible in its results. The
Hobbs brothers were placed for the
night in the southwest room, upstairs.
Their bed was only few feet from
the window which opened on wooden
awning which extended over the side
walk and only few feet from the
ground. Had they been awakened they
could have stepped out on the awning
and descended to the street with little
difficulty, but 1t would seem that they
suffocated and never left their room'
for their remains were found IN the
debris just below where the room was
located, at the southwest corner OF the
building. They were both burned to
crisp, one beyond recognition.
The men were nephews OF ). w.
Hobbs, of Jasper township, but their
parents, so far as known. have never
resided in this section Of the state. w.
70. Hobbs farmed In the eastern part OF
the county for several years. A. w.
Hobbs has been engaged on the Arm
strong place in Pleasant Valley town.
ship, and he and his brother owned
threshing machine Jointly. They had
intended to thresh on farm near
Glldden the following day and had
come to Glidden to see A. w. Hobbs
wife and children who were stopping
at the Armstrong home in town. The
men went to the hotel and took
room SO that they might be able to
start out early in the morning. A. w.
Hobbs left a wife and five children,
and Will, the brother, was bache-
lor.
Following the fire. many rumors
were circulated as to the cause. and
strong suspicion pointed towards Har-
yey and his wife, who had possession
of the hotel where the fire original
ed. Months passed by without any
sensational developments. but finally
Harvey and his wife were arrested at
Dexter, the home Of Mrs. Harvey's
parents on evidence secured by an ex-
pert detective who was employed on
the case. They were brought to Car
roll and given hearing, and indicted
on the charge Of arson, bound over to
the grand jury gave bail and were
released Mrs. Harvey's father Is a
prominent attorney at Glidden.