Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-04-21
the light from the foot of Robinson

the llSHI lIoiI thC iooS " AsouS'N
street.
Attorney Atkins drew a plan of
the location of the alleged fire to ala
in the testimony.
Merrill said when he saw the light
at first he thought they were firing
up for the night. Then it looked
suspicious. He testified that he saw
the fire on the opposite side from the
stove in the Levine store. Witness
answered that he went to Dill's
store.
Dwight Emery, member of Gardi-
ner fire department, testified he went
by Levine's store on night of fire
about 1920. He saw the store was
open but he could not tell who was
in there. About Is or 20 minutes la
ter he heard the alarm rung in.
Attorney Heselton cross examined
the witness, Mr.. Emery. 1t was &C ii
that night. He said he just glanced
| into Levine'S store as he went by on
his way home before the fire.
l.. e. Peacock of Gardiner, a night
watch for the past two years and
who has lived in Gardiner all his life.
recalled the night of the fire. He
| was in Dill's store when some one
told him there was fire in the Le-
vine store. 1t was 20 minutes 70 II
when his attention was called to the
fire. =
That fire as you first saw it, Mr..
Peacock, could easily have been put
out with plenty of snow?" asked Mr..
Atkins.
Yes. / think it could have
Telephone central must be called who
| calls the II. & W. fire whistle in case
of fire in Gardiner
Michael Cusick, Gardiner police off,
Ger, testified he was in Levine store
! between and $50 o'clock and Charlie
was in charge. Most of the groceries
j in the Levine store were on the left
band side of entrance. About 10 min
utes after alarm was rung Cusick was
there. The policeman said he did not
see Charles or Philip Levine at the fire
Computing scales were seen about a
week before the fire at the Levine store
by Cusick hut he SAID he saw none on
| the night of the fire.
Custk said he told Levine when he
| first moved in i'll October not to leave
| much in the store because the boys
break in there. Cusick said no wiring
| arrangements within the Levine store
were noticed by him.
| IAN expert at the business might tell
where the fire started" said Gardiner
| policeman. When he was in the Levine
store at $50 2. NJ. the boy was there
| sitting by the stove.
Usually when the pictures get out
| there are a lot of young fellows who
congresate on Church's corner" said
Cusick. in telling where he went afte,
he left the Levine store earlier in the
evening. About 1015 when he went by
| Levine store he noticed store was open
James W. Stone, chief of the Gardiner
| fire department, was the witness at the
opening of the afternoon session. He
was at the fire that night, getting there
some seven or eight minutes after he
, heard the alarm, and when he got there
the fire had broken out 50 the place was
all lighted up. He said that in the ruins
next morning he had observed some
| canned goods He told of other things
| that had been in the store. He testified
that after the firemen had arrived there
that night nothing could have been re.
moved while they were there. Cross
examined he stated that he knew two
| jugs of syrup had been taken away by
the firemen.
| George II. Burns Of Gardiner, former.
/ ~ a member of the Gardiner fire de.
| partment, testified that after he got to
the fire it spread quick. Cross-examineJ
he testified that he did not smell kero.
sene or gasoline.
| Ralph \. Bickford and his brother