The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-12-08
ALLEGED ARSON
PLOTS REVEALED
In Deposition Given About
Owensboro Fire.
Flames at Morganfield Also said
to Have been Started by
an "Artist."

The Evsndng Post Monday contained
the following:
Owsnsbcro, KY, Dec. Am UNI
expected development has occurred i'm
a sensational case here in the form OF
a deposition by E. D.. Hodgessformerly
pnssidHmt of the Ohio valley Dry Goods
Company, in which he alleges that
Chas. Cohn, manager of the company
had hired man to sat fire to the store.
The stone was burned December Z,
1910. in mysterious manner, as thor
had bem no fire in the building FOR
days. The insurance companis $ have
been fighting the payment of the insur-
anoe on shock, alleging that bstween
$500 and $4,000 worth of goods had
bsen boxed up and shipped away.
In Hodges disposition he states the
same man unknown to him but going
under the name of Howard, Hall or
Bloom.w was paid by Cohn ito set fire TO
the Green River Department Store,
owned by Cohn, in Morganfield, In
which Morgan6ield was almost de-
). stroyed and 100000 property lost.
N5Cohn left Owensboro about ten days
Before the fire, and his present where
abouts ane ununownI Though he is said
to he in Chicago
According to the talk that Hodges
claims to have had with Cohn and tn
othsr who appears ON the SCENE of &c
ton at different Times umar vaniious
names, First being called Mr.. Jack, LAT
talking the name of Hall or Howard
and finally being known as Fsrd
Bloom Things were carried with high
hand
In q room over Greek dive I'm Chi
cago. with only Hodges. Cchn and
Bloom present. Hodges claim that tho
STORY was told him by the twolOne in
terrupGing the Ohar ait inbavals. to
add word of explanation and to bring
Jul cl aarly all of the details Bloom
was the main narrator according to
Hodges, who say the s1Ory told by
BLOOM was as follows:
Il came to 0wansboro the second thine
ON tin l.. H. & st. l.. train from Louis
xile.and after night went TO the store
{Ohio Valley dry soods) and p.aoad a
handful cf COTTON wads undr a box In
the back of the store. then pourNd on
hhe chemical out of iittle phial, which
was about as long as my finger and the,
want into Braun,s restaurant The
chemical WAS one that afber short
whise would explode and would scatter
fire all around the room. SO that the
whole room would become igntted.
After going into Bnaun's res amrant l
took a drink at thu bar and then sat
down in TIE front OF ..hs lobby and
waited for the fire to start and for
tho a1lrm 10 bs sJundad The sxplo-
sve did nj. work as well as it did
at tbs Morganfield fire, and the sore
mot comp setsly burned. l stayad around
during tile fir bu LIFT Greensboro on
THE midm ght train.
"At the Morgamfield fire l was reg
lstened at ths hobl ON the day Of the
rire and played pool thers with a
young fellow from about . o'oock un-
I'll midnight. when Do and went to
the stone. where placed thu COTTON
and the explosive. and then l ram TO
the hotel. where | attempted TO get
an at a door which was locked The
clerk let me in and went up to my
room. had hardly reached my room
before tie fire was discovered. and !
hurried out and helped to save the
other buildings. 1 went up ON ths
moot of the store next 10 the Greon
River department. store and wantAsd
to assist the finamen, but they would
not listen to my directions and adj
vice. 50 l said: You gnean yOkels!
Yu oano let tho whole town burn; it's
nothing To me- and then quit try
ing to help them.
u had u rather hsaVy beard on my
face, the might Of the fire, but got a
shave the next day and boarded a
. train f6r Chicago the next afternoon
At thx train. after had gone In nne
ooaohd 1 saw Cohn ON the p'ahnoum
and ID pd up and raped ON the wdn-
dowcd him. HIS nearly won't oragld
-. III H., s..xy m. IA lala., nl4s1I. i !,