The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-12-26
OFFERS $4,000
TO A BUILDING
FOR Hos, lTAL
MAN SMOKED IN BED
And Caused Considerable Excitement on
Pearl Street.

Pearl street had an unwelcome visitor
last night in the person of the Man
Who Smokes in Bed The inevitable
consequences of that unhealthy habit
were not manifested until o'clock this
morning, but the night clerk at the hotel
Buzzell had his first experience with the
smoker a few hours after John Colson,
a paving cutter from Graniteville, Mas
sachusetts and Finland, applied for a
oom.
Colson was assigned to quarters on
the second floor. Lighting a cigarette,
he slipped in between the covers, and
before the embers of the little smoke
stick had time to die down, Colson was
dreaming of far-away Finland. The
scene was soon to shift, however, for
when the atmosphere in dreamland be-
gan to grow warmer, Colson ceased to
think of the icy SHOWS on his native
heath. The next things he remembers,
according to the story he told the police
officers this morning, was quick change
in temperature. 1t was drowsy Col.
son who leaped from his bed with his
eyes blinded by smoke and the tails
of his negligee beginning to shoulder,
together with the bed clothes. Thor
oughly alarmed, the smoker made his
way to the door and shouted for help.
BY this time the bed and window shades
were blazing brightly. Landlord A. HI.
Buzzell, the clerk and several guests
reached the room none to soon. Colson
was frantically endeavoring to direst
himself of his burning garments. A
small hose was procured and with the
aid of fire extinguishers the blaze was
extinguished, but not before the room
was quite thoroughly despoiled.
With the danger over, attention was
turned to the Man Who Smoked. Some
one telephoned police headquarters, and
officer Ed L. Mcleod, who answered the
call, arrested Colson on an intoxication
charge. Minus hat, stockings and
other gents furnishings, he was led
away to the station. This morning
Judge H. w Scott fined him S5 and
costs OF $3.50, which he was unable to
pay. An officer took him to the county
jail at Montpelier this noon to serve
the alternate sentence of 20 days.
Two other holiday eelebrators paid
for their conviviality in city court. This
morning William Spear OF Merchant
street, who was arrested Christmas aft
ernoon by Officer George X. Carrie,
pleaded guilty to a subsequent otfense
and was asked for disclosure. He
said that one George Roach from the
quarries had procured him q pint of
whskey. That was on Christmas eve.
Spear said he didn't 90 home for sup
per after finishing work in the shed,
but hung around the restaurants until
he met Roach, Judge Scott sentenced
him to serve 20 days in the county Jail.
He will begin the latest sentence as
soon as he serves 80 days for a similar
offense last August, to which he took
an appeal that was never entered. Yes
terday Joseph Joneas pleaded guilty to
subsequent offense and arranged to
pay SIS fine and costs.
Charles n Magoon, aged l6, bakers
boy, was arrested by Chief Sinclair on
Wednesday afternoon and arraigned be-
fore Judge H. W. Scott in city court.
The lad is charged with committing a
criminal assault on an s-year-old boy,
He entered a plea of not guilty and
furnished bail in the sum of $500 for
his appearance at hearing TO be held
tomorrow morning. He has retained
4. r. Davis as counsel. Several months
ago Magoon was arrested on similar
and on investigation by the
authorities ne was released on proba
tion. The warrant for his arrest on
Wednesday was issued from city court
at the request of Grand Juror a. G.
Fay.