Evening journal., 1918-01-02
HOSIERY CO. FIRE
MAY HAVE been
Started BY HUNS
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
the factory in such way that as they
burned the woodwork Of the building
would catch on fire
Clarence Prettyman and Edwin Pret-
lyman, after the session Of court today,
made the following statement:
I'VE are in business and have been
In business here in Wilmington for
more than thirteen years, and there
was no question In our minds as to
what the outcome Of the case would
be. We were at our homes in bed
when the fire at our plant was dlscov-
cred. We were standing In front Of
the plant early on Sunday mornin :.
December 23, viewing its destruction
by flames, when Captain Kane ordered
our arrests without warrant and on alb
solutely nothing against us but a sus-
piciOn that must have originated in his
mind. We were placed in separate cells
at the police station and an opportu-
nifty TO communicate with former
Mayor James F. Price by telephone in
order to arrange bail was denied us
We were released from the cells on
although we had bondsmen at the DO
lice station at : o'clock that morning.
"Humiliatng as that Imprisonment
was, it is nothing compared with the
damage we have suffered TO our reputa-
lions, and we demand that the fullest
reparation be made by those RESPONSE
Bile for our arrest md the stigma at
tached to It, although we realize that
reparation never can be so complete
as To wipe out the stain entirely.
appreciate the many kind words
and expressions Of confidence that have
come to us from our friends and those
with whom we have done business
I'VE deem II proper TO say that the
insurance carried on our plant will in
no way meet the loss we have incur
red.
1T may also be Of interest to the
public to know that at the time OF the
fire our plant was engaged in the
manufacture OF half hose for soldiers
for the United States army and had
been for a number OF months"
The follOwin0 enif o~.i~-es~r.-- i@'4@r
was received by THE EVENING JOUR-
NAL today:
January ?. 1918.
Editor THE EVENING JOURNAL:
Sir: From various sources. there has
come to me, durlnT the past week. in
formation that the Drono~'v NJ tho Glon !
Hosiery Co., located at Thirteenth and
Poplar streets, which was laryelv ue- |
stroyed by flre on the morning of De
cember %, was over-insured, presum- /
ably leading TO the conclusion that the I
was burned as a money max /
ing proposition.
AS ! have been privileged TO carry
the bulk Of this insurance since the /
plant was erected, am prepared to
say that based on conserv vatlye values
- 'h" t'"~e - e~oe''on the plant has
It no time been insured for more than
pc oeAt. I alde. and knOwinS the
arSe Increase In cost Of labor and ma
erials, in January. 1917. / suggested 10
he owners Of the property the wisdom
lf increasing the insurance. After con-
5iderinS the natter for a few days, the
lwners decided to make no changes In.
he coverage.
am prepared 10 say that DO chanre |
n the amount Of insurance carried has
been made for at least three wears. the
ast change having been made when a
ot OF new fnittin~ p'nohines were add
ID some four years ago.
| make the abo' e statements wholly
N my own responsibility and wholly
Unknown to the owners Of the nlant.
MINOR C. SMITH.
10 Equitable Building.