Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1912-12-13

MAAAN akA ~
o'clock A. T. Prather, the Rodeo
merchant, with his wife, who sleep I'm
the store building, we're awakened by
the smell OF smoke, and found the
front OF the store on fire. BY the aid
Of extinguishers they killed the fire.
On investigation IL was found the fire
had started on the outside Of the
building, had burned through, and in
a few moments more would have been
beyond control. There were evidences
Of coal oil, and an empty bottle that
had contained coal oil was discovered.
Mr.. Prather posted an offer Of a re-
ward OF 1900 for the arrest and con-
victlOn Of the FIRE bug. There had
been a tramp named NJ. r. McCabe
around town for ten days or two
weeks, and 1t was suspected he knew
something about the fire. Last week
McCabe got drunk, and when In this
truth telling condition told about the
fire. He said he had set the fire. He
had poured out the coal oil, waited
for 1t TO soak into the dry wood, and
then applied the match. He had left
the bottle there, as he expected It
would be destroyed by the fire. He
had nothing against Mr.. Prather, but
had been hired to do 1t by r. II. Nc
Mahon. When he sobered up he told
the same story. The new justice at
Rodeo had not begun business so Nc
Cabe was brought to Lordsburg last
Friday, and Judge McGrath sent him
to jail, In default OF $4,000 bail, to
the action OF the grand jury. A
complaint was made against Mcmahon,
who was brought up here Monday,
waived examination, and gave bail in
the sum Of 81, 800 to appear before the
grand jury. Some time ago Mcmahon
tried to get a license to open a saloon
at Rodeo, but this was opposed by
Prather and other substantial citizens
Of the town, who claimed there were
not an hundred residents in the town,
the number required before a license
can be Issued, and the county clerk
refused to issue It. Later Mcmahon
made another attempt, and claimed
that under a decision Of the court the
limit Of a settlement was always the
next house, and by working this way
Of counting he managed to scare up
enough homesteaders, living on their
entries, to make the number, and Sc
cured the license. Mr.. Prather had
opposed 1t, and as a con-
sequence there has been hard feelings
between the two men. MI. Prather
points out, In justification Of his OPP
position, that since the saloon was
a man has been shot and kill
ID in the saloon, and others have been
hot and injured; that no matter
What the claims of self defense may
made regarding the various shoot
ngs, they would not have occurred II
here had been no saloon Mr.. Nc
.ahon is an experienced nan In the
Ialoon business, and men who know
him do not see how he could have put
in the power Of a hobo, by
,onsplring to accomplish such a crime;
hey pointed out that McCabe had
'een working for him, that they had
.uarreled, and believe that McCabe
nut up the job in order to get even
nth Mcmahon. IL is a pretty scrap,
whichever way you may look at 1t.
here was a fire at Rodeo some years
go, in which a building owned by A
Wallace, and occupied by him as a
ostoface, store and residence, was
urned in the night. MI. Wallace al
lsys claimed 1t was set on fire, but
e never could get evidence enough
} cause an arrest. Mr.. Wallace and
he man he suspected, have long since
IT Rodeo.