The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-04-05
TO BURN T'HEA7ER
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-
verified in Revival Meetings, Con
f]esscs, and Richard Breuash-
weller Are Held.

by the startling confession of Elmer
Jordan, a student, that he and q fellow
student, Richard Brueschweilcr, We're
the inccndiarics whose operations puZ-
led the whole town as well as detectives
imported TO solve the mystery, IS stun
at high pitch here.
Jordan and Brueschwclier this after
noon waived examination and were
bound over to the circuit court in bonds
Of SO, 900 each. Inasmuch as court con-
Venes n1Xt week it is thought they young
men WA rot try to get bail. They are
accused a. 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 is the di-
rect result of the Methodist revival
meetings here, in which more than Il
score Of the state university men We're
converted. He also claims to have had
a dream which strongly affected him.
First Told Their Pastor.
It is learned that the boys first re-
lated the story of their crimes to their
pastor and It is thought his advice had
something to do with the public ad-
missions.
Both of the young men have been
kept locked in Jail. N no one has
been permitted to see them. States
Attorney Healy and Chief Of Police
/ Sullivan AVE been very secrctiVe re-
gardinG the details of the confcssiCn,
but your correspondent has secured
from an authoritative source the story
Of the operations of the youthful fire
bugs and their original plans. which
included the obstruction of the court
house and opera house, which they had
condemned along with other structures
in town as ''unSightly." The confess
sion in the main is as follows:
Planned to Burn.
Early last ummer Jordan and
Brueschweiler got their heads together
and decided it would be a good thing
to rid the state university city of some
of the structures which were none too
inviting in appearance. The first vic
tim of the frebugs was A. j. 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 1t with the aid of a key which the
latter had in his possession. Ten min
utes later when the fire was discovered
the building was in flames and even
before the tiremen arrived was almost
q total loss. The loss IN tools. machin-
cry and the like was about $500 and
the building was valued at 81, 500. mak-
Ing a total loss of $4,000 to Mr.. Charr-
lin, with no insurance.
In the same manner West hail, the
young mems dormitory, was RACED by
fire on the morning of July A. The
match, it is asserted, was applied by
Brueschw eiler, as it was his turn at
the business, The night of July 8 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 Z. c.. Perisho
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 A they entered the
dormitofy from the basement, and hay
ing gotten everything in readiness, ap-
piled the match and hurried away.
No Chance to Save 1t.
The did a good job. for the flames
spread so rapidly that West hall was
in ruins before many residents who
We're awakened by the alarm could ar
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,
which was valued at $4,000, with S14,-
900 insurance, many students who we're
TO return to the university in the fall.
and had left their bedding, books, etc,
lest everything. Baseball and football
uniforms and other paraphernalia went
up In smoke. Professor Perisho lost
his fine library, which he had moved
to West hall for the summer The other
building which was touched off was an
old turnbledown cottage in East Yer
million.
These are the three buildings which
Jordan and Brueschweiler confess to
firing. A barn owned by S. f.. Brook
man burned a little later, and. though
undoubtedly the work OF an ~incendiary,
the young men now in Jail deny any
connection With thai blaze,
The city authorities employed a de-
tective, but his efforts to run down the
criminals We're futile. During his stay
not another solitary fire was kindled,
and he went away feeling that he was
UP against it.
Had Others on Condemned List.
The burning of West hall. Charrlin's
shop and the old cottage We're only a
few%of the structures that We're to be
sent up by the fire route, The old court
house, against which SO much COM
plant has in times past been directed.
was on the list. as was also the store
building on Market street, occupied in
the early DAYS by Nick Hansen, now
of Sioux City. In due time these We're
to go.
The hardest proposition which con-
fronted the young men was how to get
:id OF the opera house. which to say the
4 least, is not a Very beautiful structure.
This is located in the business portion
of he city. and it was pretty risky
business, as the night policeman made
regular trips near the play house. BY
using Their wits. jordan and Bruesch-
weller contrived a machine which
would go off at a given time With the
aid of electricity. That is, they thought
It would. In some manner entrance
20 the opera house was gained and the
machine was placed directly under
meath the stage. But it failed to do
the business. The opera house did not
go down that night. Soon after Jordan
gained possession of the undestructive
machine and carried it away. A Sec
Dnd attempt was not made ut this
building. else it would probably now
be in ashes.
Bruesehweiler Does MOT Deny.
Such, III substance, is, the confession
nf Elmer Jordan. signed by him md
7 nov in the hands@of States Attorney
y. b.. Healy. Bruesehweiler was not
e party to the confession made in writ
Ing, though he; has not denied any OF
Jordan,s sworn statements. Since his
arrival In the ciW yesterday afternoon
he has not been .een By any one orr
side of his partner in crime and Off
Gers, The latter say that he is silent.