The Cairo bulletin., 1911-06-07
ALLEGED MOUNDS FIRE BUGS
HELD FOR TRIAL $3.50 EACH
Evidence CircumstantiaI But Strong-.-- Defense
Declines To Present Witnesses, Claiming
Court Had No Jurisdiction.


Moands the alledged fire bugs, was
held yesterday at Mound City in the
court house, before Judge William
S. Dewey of Alexander county court.
Judge w. A. Wall, the Pulaski
county judge owing to his having
been previously retained in the case
asked Judge Dewey to preside. This
was agreed to by the attorneys on
both sides of the case.
States Attorney Fred Hood was
assisted in the prosecution by Geo.
r. Martin. The attorneys for Mrs
| McMurtry We're l.. NJ. Bradley Of Car
bcndale and George Crawford Of
Jonesboro. Ditto's counsel was AT.
torney Shelton Of Clinton, Ky, TIE
court room was crowded during the
trial Nearly 200 people from Mounds
were in the audience. A big pile OF
partly burned sheets, spreads, shirts
and rags was emptied out on the ros.
trum of the court room which emit
ted all day long a strong odor of
coal OIL These were picked up Inf
the different rooms after the fire tho
night of May and were offered Id
evidence.
Albert Spencer testified: Was owner
of the eighteen room house rented to
Mrs. McMurtry as a boarding house.
Was awakened the night of May 5th
by parties coming w my house and
telling me this house was on fire.
Went to the burning house, founl
front dor open, had been broken OF
en-, went in house and tried to put
out the fires Most OF the fires We're
then under control, I helped put out
fire in closet under the stairway.
it has been set on fire by bundle
Of rags and paper saturated with
coal oil. / stamped the fire out with
my feet, / went through the house
and found fires had been started in
fourteen different places. | previous
ly had several conversations with
Mrs. McMurtry about my gettin pos
session of my house. There was some
dispute between us as to the rent.
She claimed she had lease of house
for year, until June 9th. | claimed
I only rented to her by the month.
have been trying since Jan. 1st last
to get her out. In one conversation
told her ! was going to get posses
sion of the house. She said ! might
put her out but / wouldn't get pos
session of the house. / had con.
versation with Ditto short time lie.
fore the fire, Ditto said don't talk
about that woman, she win do you
dirt" The house cost me $500, had
insurance for $4,000. / would never
have given Mrs. McMurtry key to the
house at the start, she got the key
Ito mouse from the builder before
house was really completed.
) Sam Blum testified: | was at the
fire. heard Ditto say he had jumped
through the window to get out of the
house. | visited his room night of
fire in company with Thorn andWater-
man, screen was busted, window
was up and blinds up. Didn't count
the number of fires in house, saw nil
of some kind several places where
there were rags, was in several rooms
saw bed clothes had been torn up.
VIII Toler testified: Was at fire
shortly after it had been put out.
, Looked in several rooms, sheets were
/, missing off beds. saw many places
where fire had been set in different
} rooms, was present in Dnto's room
when Sam Blum was there He
: showed me the window which was
: open, screen was busted. Ditto was
: sitting on bed putting on his shoes
George Sitter testified. Didn't see
many at fire when l got there I went
into Ditto's room, No. 8. When
went into room raised the blind
and raised the window. Don't know
who was In room before / got there
Found window panes broken. His
bed looked like 1t had been made
up, Went into other rooms saw rags
. and clothes, most of stuff were sheets
: saw sheets at two doors saturated
with oil, only saw two sheets that
had not been set on fire.
/. Charles Walbridge, night marsheIl
at Mounds testified: Was at fire
After fighting fire, went all through
house saw two places where sheets
saturated with oil had not been fired
) Was In Ditto's room. Heard Ditto
say he had jumped out OF window
/. (his room is in second story. He
| was talking to crowd in his room
' There We're eleven places where fire
: had been started and three places