The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-04-05
TO BURN THEATER
AND COURT HOUSE
This Was Part OF Plans OF the
College Boys Who Con-
Tess to Arson.
WAS A DELIBERATE CRIME
Elmer Jordan, Who After Being Con.
verted in Revival Meetings Con.
fesses, and Richard Breuseh-
weller Arc Held.

yermIllion, 8. D.. April 1.-The
sensation created In university circles
BY the startling confession OF Elmer
Jordan. a student. that he and fellow
student. Richard Brueschweiler, were
the incendlaries whose operations puz-l
led the whole town as well as detectives
imported TO solve the mystery. Is still
at high pitch here.
Jordan and Brueschweiler this after
noon waived examination ana were
bound over TO the circuit court I'm bonds
OF 1000 each. lnasmuch as court con-
yenes next week II In thought the young
men will not try TO get ball. They are
accused In three counts OF arson.
The minimum penalty for arson IN
this state Is from four TO seven years
In the penitentiary.
The confession OF Jordan In the d.
rect result OF the Methodist revival
meetings here. In which mere than
score OF the state university men were
converted He also claims TO have had
dream which strongly affected him.
First Told Their Pastor.
II IL learned that the boys first re-
lated the story OF their crimes To their
pastor and IL Is thought his advice had
something TO do with the public adj
missions.
Both OF the young men have been
kept locked I'm Jail. and no one has
been permitted TO see them. states
Attorney Healy and Chief Of Police
Sullivan have been very secretive re-
gnrding the details OF the confession.
but your correspondent has secured
from an authoritative source the story
OF the operations OF the youthful nre-
bugs and their original plans, which
included the destruction OF the court
house and opera house. which they had
condemned along with other structures
In town ms "unslghtly." The confess
sion I'm the main IL AS follows:
Planned 60 Burn.
Early last summer Jordan and
Brueschweller got their heads together
and decided II would be a good thing
10 rid the state university city OF some
OF the structures which were none too
inviting In appearance. The first vic
tim OF the firebugs was A. ]. charrlin's
blacksmith shop on east Main street.
After entering by a window and firing
the structure they retreated across the
street to the Methodist church, enter
ing Il with the aid OF n key which the
latter had In his possession. Ten min
utcs later when the FIRE was discovered
the building was In flames and even
before the firemen arrived was almost
a total loss. The loss on tools. mnchin-
cry and the like was about $1,000 and
the building was valued at $1,000. max
Ing a total loss of $4,000 TO Mr.. CHAIR
lin. with no insurance.
In the same manner West hall. the
young mems dormitory. was RACED by
fire on the morning OF July 4. The
match. IL IL asserted, Was applied by
Brueschwciler. Az ~ was his turn at
the business. The night Of July was
the only one on which there had been
no occupant In West hall since the
closing OF the university for the sum-
mer vacation. Professor T.. &. Pcrisho
had been rooming there, but the day
before the Fourth was called away To
deliver AN Grafton. This was the OPP
portunity that Jordan and BruesCh-
weller had been waiting for. Early on
the morning OF July they entered the
dormitory from the basement. and hnv-
Ing gotten everything In readiness. APP
piled the match and hurried away.
No Chance TO Save II.
The did a good job. for the flames
spread 30 rapidly that West hall Was
I'm ruins before many residents who
were awakened by the alarm could ar
rive on the scene. And thus vanished
the old brick structure which for so
many years had been dubbed by the
students as the "old soap factory"
Besides the loss on the building.
winch was Nulutu Ut s@V,VVV, Win Wv
900 Insurance. many students who were
to return TO the university In the fall
and had left their bedding. books. etc.
lost everything. Baseball and football
uniforms and other pRraphernalia went
up I'm smoke. Professor Perisho lost
his fine library. which he had moved
10 West hall for the summer. The other
building which was touched OF was an
old tumbledown cottage In East YER
million.
These are the three buildings which
Jordan and Brueschweiler confess TO
firing barn owned by :. T.. Brook
man burned little later. and. though
undoubtedly the work Of an incendiary.
the young mon now In jail deny any
connection y that blaze.
The city horitles employed de-
tectivc. but his efforts tn run down the
criminals were futile. During his stay
not another solitary fire was klndled.
and he went away feeling that he was
III against IL.
Had Others on Condemned List.
The burning OF West hall. Charrlin's
shop and the old cottage were only a
few OF the structures that were to be
sent up by the fire route. The old court
house against which so much COM
plalnt has I'm times past been directed.
was on the list. as was also the store
building Oh Market street. occupied In
the early days by Nick Hansen. now
| OF Sioux City. In due time these were
| Go 40.
The hardest proposition which con-
| fronted the young men was how TO get
| rid Of the opera house. which To say the
least. is not "A very beautiful structure.
| This IN located la the business portion
OF the city. and II was pretty risky
business. as the night policeman made
| regular trips near the play house. BY
using Their wits. jordan and Bruesch-
| weller contriyc1 n machine which
would go OF NJ "a given time with the
MD OF electricity. That is. they thought
| ~ would. In some manner entrance
TO the opera house was gained and the
machine was placed directly under
meath the stage. But II failed To do
| the business. The opera house did not
| 40 down that night. Soon after Jordan
| gained possession 81 the undestructive
| machine and carried II away. A see
ond attempt was not made at this
| building. else II would probably now
| be In ashes.
5rueseh~eiier Does Not Deny.