Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-10
EVIDENCES OF KEROSENE
 IN CHAPMAN BLDG. FIRE.
Chief Stanton Satisfied That It Was of
 lncendiary Origin.

That the fire in the Chapman build ing early Saturday morning at $40 clock was of incendiary origin is the belief of Chief Howard L. Stanton. who found a number of circumstances which pointed most convincingly tow ards such a deduction. The fire start ed in Foresters' hall on the upper flo 5i of the building in the end opposite the regalias, etc, are stored This section of the building suffered the most The lower panel in the window sash next the entrance door was of tin, and this had been torn out and was found a. the head of the stairs. When the fire men arrived the door was unlocked and the electric light in the hail was lighted. In the interior of the hall it. self which was not reached by the fire. the hangings were all soot. pointing t. sudden Kerosene flash. There was a decided smell of kerosene about the building when the apparatus reached the scene.
 The lockers and their contents in the section where the fire originated were destroyed. The platform was burne, through and the lath and plaster was burned from the walls. The ceiling was burned to the roof and a piano be longing to the Foresters and charters Of various organizations about the walls were destroyed. One of the trus- tees stated that he believed the los would total $1,000 to the F'oresters, ant this is covered by insurance.
 Chemical companies No. l, and responded to the alarm and the steam from the Central station connected with the cistern on the square, but it; services were not required.
 Officer Jacob Vetter and \ Sergeant Allen Matthews discovered the fire about the same time and Officer Nettel sent in the alarm.
 The stores on the main floor of the building all suffered more or less from water and smoke The office of A. W Burnham, the eye specialist, suffered heavily from water. William McCord' cigar store on the first floor receive much water and some tobacco was damaged. The paper in MT. Burnham'i office was so thoroughly soaked that ii all fell from the ceilings Fred Loci fier's shoemaking shop. which has jus been painted and papered, was wei wet up but was not damaged by f1ras Some of his goods suffered from the water. Clarence D. Boynton's lunch room suffered from water which ran down from the upper floors, but there was no extensive damage there Peter Sel1as again lost his candy stock frora the smoke and water. but continued business through the day. Albert Ousley's repair shop the store of the American Importing company and ward kirby's barber shop all suffered from the flames, smoke and water All were covered by insurance except F Nowadays news store on the lower floor. He suffered a loss in newspap pers and periodicals of $40.
 There are about 20 lodges and socie-- ties which have held their meetings ir Foresters' hall The trustees Of the Foresters met Sunday afternoon an1 decided to hire T. A. B. hall until re- pairs are effected in the old quarters and all the meetings will be trans ferred to T. A. B. hall on their accus- toned nights
 Saturday afternoon the loss of La fayette council, No. 207, L'Un;on St. Jean Raptiste d'Amerique, in the fire of Saturday morning, was satisfactor- fly adjusted with the New London County Mutual Fire Insurance com pany.