Norwich bulletin., 1911-03-03
PUTNAM

IVJUAm
 Case of State VI. Robert Bons Con-
 cIudsd Thursday Evening Bone
 Hold in $f,ooe eonds-Firsmen'
 Muster Fund Increased $200-
 Thieves Profit by Unlocked Barn.
 The city court room was crowded Wednesday evening when the case of state vs Robert Bone was taken up. In this case the defendant is charged with wilfully attempting to burn the building known as Fishers shoe shop, owned by John D. Dorsey, and used by him as a handle factory, situated on School street in this city on the evening of Saturday, February IS.
 State Policeman Robert T. Hurley of Hartford had been working on the case.
 The first witness for the prosecu- ton was Archie Ray Cotton, who tes- tiied that he saw the fire in the han- dle factory in the basement while the alarm was being rung in on Saturday evening, February IS, at about eight o'clock. He was the first person to enter tha&building, breaking in a win dow and unbolting sthe door; he saw the fire burning in a pile of boxes in the middle of the floor about two thirds of the length of the factory back from School street, the factory DGlnR SlludtGQ O1l Iu6 COIHcf Oi 0CiiOOi and Corbin streets. There was large pile of boxes against the north wall of the basement, according -tofCotton, but out in the middle of the floor were five or six small packing boxes, filled with shavings. and on top of them was h burlap bag The shavings and the bag were Sa turated with kerosene, and were burning rapidly
 AfteY he had unbolted the door, he threw the boxes into the street and put out the fire on the floor. In throwing the boxes out, he said, he spilled some of the shavings on the floor.
 Chief Wilson's Testimony.
 Mark H. Wilson, chief of the Putnam fire department, was called to the wit ness stand and said that when he got to the ire on February IS, he found that somebody had thrown all the boxes which were burning into the street. that he threw them further away from the building, and was just going to ring in the all out signal when somebody, he did not know who, fire in the building. that he believed it had been set, and that the chief had better investigate further before ring ing the signal. Wilson said he went into the factory where the fire was, in the basement, that he smelled kero- sene, that, there was about peck of shavings on the floor and they were saturated with kerosene. He further stated that he talked with MT. Bone and Bone told him that he didn't care if the thing went up in smoke or burn ed to the ground" as he was out of it entirely.
 Assistant Smith Called.
 Barrak K Smith, first assistant en- gineer of the fire department. testified as to the location of the fire in the basement, that he smelled kerosene, nal
 Postmaster on the Stand.
 Postmaster Frank c. Letters testi- fled that he was at the factory on Sunday, February 19, in company with Police Captain Murray. He helped Murray gather up some oil-soaked shavings that were on the floor of the factory, and Murray took some of them away with him.
 John D. Dorsey's Testimony.
 John D. Dorsey. the principal wit ness for the prosecution, said that he had lived in Putnam since the first part of July, 1909. when he and MT Bone went into partnership under the name of Dorsey & Bone, in the manu- facture of wooden handles in what was called Fishers shoe shop, a three story wooden factory on the corner of School and Corbin streets. He stated further that they got along very well until the 1st of last December, when he bought Bone's interest and gave him two mortgages of $500 each upon the machinery. He then hired Mr. Bone to work for him, as he was in i'll health, and he did work there until February Il, when he caught MT. Bone stealing coal. He said that he had been missing coal and that Thomas Tripp had watched for two mornings with him and saw Bone carrying two hods of soft coal towards his house which was right across Corbin street from the factory. It was about six o'clock in the morning when he caught him. and that Bone got through about half-past seven.
 Insurance Policy in Evidence. At this point, in the proceedings the insurance policy on the machinery showing that 1t was payable to Bone to protect his mortgages, and the two mortgages were offered in evidence On cross examination MT. Dorsey said that he owns the building, that he paid $3.500 for it, that there is a mortgage of sSsPoo on the building and $100 on the machinery, and that he owes about $4oo besides. He said further that he had $1,o0o worth ot Stock at the tune or the fire, but would not swear there is exactly that amount there now. He said that he carries $4,000 insurance on the build ing, $1.s00 on the machinery and $10l on the stock, making total of S6 65e( insurance in the whole.
 Repeated Bons's Threat. Mir. Belland, an employe of MT. Dor. sey, testified to the arrangement of the boxes in the basement, and other mi nor details, but his main testimon1 was to the point that Mf Bone tolt him on two different occasions tha- Belland had better get all the money coming from Dorsey because ht (Bone) was going to put Dorsey ou of business.
 J. Richard Carpenter was put or the stand to show that he had writ. ten the insurance on the machinery and that just before the fire Bone hat called on him and asked if the insur. ance had been paid for.
 Thomas Tripp was put on to show that Bone was caught stealing coal and State Policeman Robert T. Hur. 1 ley testified to several contradiction, | statements made by Bone to him. anf l the fact that Bone said that he had Z good alibi
 The witnesses for the defense called Wednesday evening were Robert Bone his wife, Mary Bone, and two daugh, ters, Dorothy, aged seven years, ant l Margaret, aged fourteen.
 Family Strong Defense. l All told the sa me story concer,,i,,.