Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1908-09-10
A NEWS OF
ARKANSAS

The arrest of DR.. J. 8. Stillwell, a
wealthy professional and business
man, and prominent churchman and
Mason of Searcy, on a charge of ar
son, has produced sensation which
has only been surpassed in the his
tory of the town by that which follow
ed the exposure of the famous Lightle
insurance fraud about four years ago.
Following so closely after that SEN
sational case, the arrest of DR.. Still
well on a somewhat similar charge
has aroused more interest than might
otherwise have attached to the case.
Dr. Stillwell, who is now under
bond to answer to the charge of
setting fire to the building in which
his Offices were located, has been for
years one of the most prominent citi-
zens of Searcy. He had been the
leading dentist of the town for years,
and has been actively connected with
many successful business enterprises.
He is a steward of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and for years has
taught class of young women in the
Sunday school of that church. He
has also been a member of the church
choir, and it is said has not missed
choir practice in fifteen years.
DIR. Stillwell is one of the largest
stockholders of the Peoples bank,
which owned the building which he
is charged with attempting to burn,
of NJ
property. He is reputed to be worth
at least $4,000.
The building which, it is alleged,
Dr. Stillwell attempted to burn is
two-story brick structure occupying
the most prominent corner of the bust
ness section of Searcy. The building
was purchased last spring by the
Peoples bank officials to remodel the
structure and convert it into d modern
bank building. The bank paid $4,000
for the property. After the deal was
made an architect was engaged to
prepare plans for the reconstruction
| of the building, but upon an investi-
cation the architect advised the bank
officials that the walls of the build
ing were unsafe, and that it would be
impossible to remodel the structure.
1t was then proposed that the build
ing should be torn down and new
one erected on the site. This propo-
sition was under consideration when
the attempt to burn the building was
made.
One night about three weeks ago at
about $50 o'clock a fire was dis
covered on the second floor Of the
building in question. When the
volunteer firemen responded to the
alarm they found that an attempt had
been made to burn the structure. In
the hallway on the second floor, i'm
mediately in front of the Office of DR..
Stillwell, they found blazing box,
which was about two feet square, had
been saturated with coal oil and
filled with cotton and small pieces of
wool, which had also been saturated
with oil. The box was standing upon
a rug, which had also been subjected
to bath of oil. 1t is the theory
adopted by the officers that a lighted
candle had been placed in this box,
with the idea that it would burn down
and ignite the cotton and other con-
tents at some time during the night.
It is supposed that the candle was
overturned and the fire occurred
ahead of the schedule time. No
candle was found, but it is thought
possible that it might have been lost
after the fire, as the burning box was
thrown to the ground from a rear
doorway and no particular attention
was paid to it until the following
morning The flames were extin-
guished before they had done any
damage aside from scorching the
walls of the hallway around DIR. Still
wells door.
Although the attempt to burn the
building was made three weeks ago
and suspicion was directed shortly
afterward against DR.. Stillwell, the
officers proceeded slowly and DR.. Still
we'll was not arrested until Tuesday,
when an affidavit making the formal
charge against him was filed by Pros
ecuting Attorney P. R. Andrews of
Augusta.
The evidence against DR.. Stillwell
is entirely circumstantial and is based
chiefly upon the fact that he was
seen coming from the building about
five minutes before the fire was dis
covered.