The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-08-26

tive and rushed up stairs, meeting her
mother at the head of the stairs.
Fearing that the child had been over
looked. Mrs. Hoffman had fought her
way to it's bedside. She was nearly
overcome with smoke. AT that time the
smoke was so dense that in order to
live, it was necessary to crawl upon
the floor.
Immediately upon rescuing the child
Mr. Retzer rushed for the garden
hose which was attached to the lawn
sprinkler Disseminating it and turn
ing On the water the streams were
played into the heart of the fire,
checking the blaze to some extent. 1t
was through this means that he was
able to save articles he valued most
of his library. These were stored in
the room adjoining his sleeping room
and under which the fire had appar-
emily been started and had made the
most Roadway.
Fire Department Arrives.
Meantime Vollican turned in a fire
the fire station, the latter call being
the first received. Shortly both de-
partments were throwing water on the
cOnf1agratiOT.. 1t was a hard one to
fight. However, as the fire had eaten
its way in between the inner and
outer walls and between the ceiling
and the roof Also a wind from the
southwest further encouraged the de-
vouring element. F'iremen were sent
up on the roof. shingles were torn off
and water played in every crevice.
After the flames We're gotten under
control, Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Retz-
er and the children, were taken in
cab to the home of George Refer,
father of G. H. Refer, at 205 West
Chestnut street.
1t was sorry appearing party
which left the cab at the Refer res
idence Both Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs.
Retzer were attired in night gowns
over which were thrown. blankets. With
one exception, the boys were in a SIM
liar plight.
Women Are Not Excited.
When seen this morning, Mrs. Ret
ger exhibited but little evidence of the
fiery ordeal through which she had
passed. The fire left it's mark, her
hair being badly singed. Mrs. Refer
says that neither she nor her mother
were excited in the least, during the
time they were in the burning house,
notwithstanding flames were all about
them.
With the exception of the furniture
Mr.. Refers room and the room adj
joining, a buffet and few other pieces
of furniture in a downstairs room,
everything in the house, including an
expensive piano, was ruined either by |
fire or water.
Circumstances and the evidence Of
the ruins testify undeniably TO incen-
diary origin of the fire.
Just prior to retiring last night Mr..
Refer locked and tested each door
and window. Later his wife and Mrs
Hoffman also tested the doors to be
sure they were locked.
Evidences of Incendriansm.
This fact, with the fact that the
doors were all found unlocked i'm
mediately after the fire was discov-
cred, aid also the apparent starting
point of the fire and the manner in
which it spread, forms a chain of evil
derce attesting to incendiarism, no
link of which is lacking.
An inspection of the scene of the
fire showed cOnclusively that the blaze
started from a washing machine which |
was at the corner and rear of the |
house There was nothing but a few
clothes in the machine last night and
there was nothing about it that could
cause combustion so far as could be
learned. Also there was found in the
ashes of the machine a lard pail con-
tanning a piece of cloth which had been
tightly folded into a ball. This was
might we'll have beer. used as torch. |
A further point is that the whole in
terror of the first floor was found to be |
ablaze at the time the fire was dis
coverey, whereas it had apparently
burned but a short time before discov-
cred 1t appears that a second fire had
been started in the sitting room. There
the wall is heavily burned in a spot re-
mote from the apparent origin of the
blaze.
Fire Bug Calls.
Another peculiar feature is that when
Mr. Refer first started playing water
on the blaze from rear window, some
one called to him in a mails voice
from the interior of the house to ''cut
out throwing water on that fire" This
was before the fire department had
arrived Mr.. Refer was the only man
of the family about the house and none
of the boys were in that part of the
house.
The furniture which was saved from
the fire is being moved today to the
home of George Refer where Mr.. and