Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-09-16
COURIER JOURNAL
FIRES MAY PROVE
ACT OF INCENDIARY
LOTT TELLS CONFLICTING sTO-
RlES, AND FIRE MARSHAL
AYREs SAYS HE Is THE WORST
WITNESS EVER.

WITNESS EVER.
Louisville, Sept 14.-After an in
vestigating lasting practically all day
in the office OF State Fire Marshal
Mott Ayres in the Lincoln Bank
building yesterday. there appeared
to be little doubt in the minds of
those conducting the inquiry that
both of the Courier-Journal fires
were of incen&ary origin.
During the proceedings Clarence
Lott, the principal witness, and the
boy who is believed to be guilty Of
having caused the blazes, was un-
der the cross-fre of the examiners.
and becoming badly tangled. on sew
eral occasions contradicted his pre-
vious statements.
Several witnesses were missing
yesterday afternoon and as all Of
the testimony has not yet been taken
court adjourned about 4 O'Clock TO
meet again this morning at 10
O'clock
Fire Marshal Ayres said yester-
day afternoon that Clarence Lott
was one of the worst witnesses he
had ever examined, and that his tes-
timony was OF such a character that
he could hardly believe any of IT at
/ all
Leaving out the stories which he
told the detectives when he was not
under oath, said Mr.. Ayres. Lott
has confessed to two fabrications
and now denies the story regarding
the dropping of the match after
lighting his cigar, saying that he
didn't even have a cigar"
When the investigation first be-
gan yesterday morning Mr.. Ayres
impressed upon Lott the necessity
of the truth, as he was under oath.
The boy appeared to be sufficiently
Impressed. but when put to the test
became badly tangled and told sew
eral conflicting stories.
Chief Tyson did not hesitate TO
say that he believed that the last
fire at least, had been the work of
an incendlary, and said that Lott
varied in his statements throughout
the entire investigation Chief Mar
shall Ayres also said that the testi-
mony Of Edward Lott did not tally
with the younger boys story. and
that he was about as badly mixed as
his brother.
The witnesses in the case heard
yesterday are as follows. Arthur
Thomas, electrician at the Courier
Journal; James Calmbach. T.. r.
Tinsley Of the Tinsley-Mayer En-
craving Company. I'm whose plant the
fire started G. r. McAvoy. night
Waterman; II. F. Halves and p.
Johnson, architect: n. ~ Lewis. Gle
vator boy at the Courier-JournaI and
Julius Watson Omar Newman and
Arthur Hall employees Of the Cou-
rier-Journal
Mayors Deposition.
Fred s. Mayors deposition. which
was taken owing to his inability to
attend the meeting was to the effect
that Lott was a "fre nend and that
since he had been employed by him
he had repeatedly called him mp over
the phone at all hours Of the night
TO tell him Of some fire Tie said
that the boys mind had appeared to-
be unbalanced since ON attack of ty-
phoid fever last winter. and that inn
medlately after the first fire at the
Courler-Journal building he had an
peared completely unstrung and UNI
able to properly attend to- his work.
Peter Johnson, superintendent of
Hutchins & Halves. architects. and
Mr.. HAYES Of the firm. both idenu-
fed Lott as the boy whom they had
seen on the NTH floor of the building
just prior TO the second fire. Lott.
when asked admitted being there.
but said that he was Just looking
around" and that he had done no
/ harm
] Albert Fryxel testified that he