Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-01-10
FIRE WAS SET AND
LIQUOR STOCK WATERED,
Investigation Into Liquor House Fire
by Fire Marshal Brings Out Some
Interesting Disclosures.

destroy what was presumed to be a
stock of liquor amounting into
thousands of dollars and which il
was discovered turned out to be
largely watered booze, are some
of the startling revelations in con-
nection with the fire III the Lucia
building on the morning of Dec. 81.
Since the fire Deputy State Fire
Marshal Chas J. Good of Ashland
has been conducting an investiga-
ton, devoting his time for more
than week to the Job.
The fire marshal is firm III his
conviction that the fire was set and
but for the bungling of the Job a
conflagration which not only would
have destroyed the stock of the
Badger Distilling company and the
Lucia building )ut would also have
endangered adIoining property
would have resulted
The marshal and his assistant
found excelsior strewn over and
about cases and barrels in the base.
ment and there was evidence that
containers full of gasoline had been
placed at yarions places i'll the base
ment. Fortunately the fire did not
reach the part of the basement so
generously fixed with high COM
bustibles designed, no doubt, to
feed the flames, but instead continu-
ed up the stairs to the main floor
and thence to the balcony in the
rear of the building. The building
was thus lighted up inside and on
account of this and the smoke pour.
ing from the building it was dis,
covered by outside parties,
There IS no clue as to the identi-
ty OF the person who applied the
match, thus presenting one of the
most mysterious cases i'll the history
of the city, and as far as being able
to connect the fire directly with
any person the officials are bahled /
VIM. Simon, the head of the firm.
was out of the city, having gone to
Duluth the Saturday previous to
the hre and not returning until
few days after. So far as known
there was no one in the building
since noon on the day previous to
the FIRE.
Another startling disclosure in
connection with the investigation
OF this mysterious fire, according
TO the tlle marshal, was the dis.
covery that the large stock of booze
supposed to have been stored in
the building was largely watered.
1t is said that casks and barrels
marked to contain whisky upon
being tapped were found to contain
water and poor wine, and that the
only boozein the building was stor-
ed in few barrels in the front part
of the place OH the main floor.
Ninety-one cases marked to contain
were tapped and the stuff
in allof them was round to be
worthless, said the marshal. Some
more of the poor stuff was also
found in thirty-one cases marked
to contain gin. The substitution ,
Of water and poor wine for what ,
was supposed to be good liquors
IS also one of the mysteries in con
nection with the fire for which no {
solution has been unearthed.
There have been many conjec.
-ures among people familiar with I
the firm as to the amount OF liquor !
owned and stored by the Badger
Distilling company, some even
Fenturing to place the figure as {
high as $4,000, but that this {
figure was extreme is evidenced bv
he discoveries brought out since ,
The fire. :
The amount of insurance on the ,
stock and building totaled S42 900 {
Lucia had s., 900 insurance on the $
and the balance covered !
he stock.
4 superstitious indiv nal says il is