Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-03-20
WILLIMANTIC

Officer Paulhus that the back part of
the building was on fire.
Henry Fancher corroborated her
testimony. jeremiah Lenehan testi-
fed that he saw Silverman and
friend come out of the store about two
minutes before the fire was discovered.
Fred J. Kirkland told of meeting young
Silverman while on his way home from
work. He passed them in front OF the
Woolworth store.
Furnace Was All Right.
The next witness was E. H. Hall,
owner of the building. He said that
the furnace was in the center of the
basement and that the fire started in
the rear of the Slovenian store, as
near as he could judge. E. F. Wilson,
who looks after the furnace in the
building, testified that he had looked
at it about 6.15 or $40 and again after
the alarm had been rung in. He said
that on both occasions the furnace was
all right and that the fire couldn't have
started from there.
John F. Doyle, foreman of the Mont
gomery Hose company, and Michael j.
English, a member of the company,
testified that their attention had be- l
called to a piece of gaspipe by Cap
tain Hurley of the state police when
they were in the store on Thursday.
Difficult to Get At.
"A Cnl6l 1lIlCOll1 lOlu Ol Tie uIA =
ficulty in getting into the store. There
were only two ways of getting into it,
one being the front door and the other
through the cellar door. The cellar
door was bolted and no one could have
entered from that way.
Clarence Bowen, an insurance agent
testified that through his agency the
WiIlimantic Bazaar stock was insured
for $4,000 in the name of Mrs. Silver
man. She represented to him that the
stock was worth $4,000.
State PoIiceman's Testimony.
Capt. R. H. Hurley of the state police
told of the results of his investigation
Of the fire. He arrived in this city the
morning after the fire and examined
the store and interviewed young Sill
verman. On Wednesday (the next day.
he had another interview with the &C
cused and his parents. On Thursday
| he took an account of the stock and
on Saturday he suggested that the
SilvermanS be allowed to resume bust
ness and he turned in his report to his
chief. He testified that the fire orig
| mated in the southwest corner of the
| store and he found in that corner 9
| gaSpipe with two stopcoClls, one entire.
| ly closed and the other half open. This
| had been connected to the main gas
pipe.
Stock Low and Creditors Pressing.
| He had made an examination OF thu
| stock, check books and papers and
| found that the stock was not worth
over $500. He also found that thu
| Silvermans had debts of over $1,O0t
and that there were creditors who wer
pressing Mrs. Silverman for payment
| The accounts showed that last yea
1.-THE business was conducted at a los
Of between $1,000 and $1,7OO, beside,
tic $1,000 which was owed. He ais
| found that in April, 1915, Mrs. Silver
man drew a check on the bank accoun
for herself personally for $1,000.
There was considerable question
about the ownership of the store, h
| said; the accused told him that hi
father, Harry Silverman, owned tn
| business, While the father told hir
that his wife owned it. Mrs. Silver
man told him that it belonged to hel
Harry Silverman said it was in hi
wife's name because of financial diff
culties.