The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1922-11-23
HOME SCHOOL FIRE,
STARTED BY INMATE
EDITH DAWSON COrHESSES TO
BURNING OF IRLGNE PETIT
COTTAGE, oct. 81
TWO MORE IMPLICATED
GIRLS ARRESTED AND LODGED
IN sTEARNs COUNTY JAIL
LAST FRIDAY


Home Schapl for Girls was being de-
stroyed hy fire on October 31st, one
of the officers of the institution IN
discussmg the fire with the editor OF
the Heaald, stated that she was of the
optimism that the fire was of incendiars
origin, and very likely set by one OF
the inmates.
Irsne Petit was known as the Dis
cipIine Cottage, where the toughest
girls of the Institution were housed
A short time ago at the request of
the State Board of Control, staue
Fire Marshal George Netleton sent
Bert Kingsley, one of his deputies, to
Sank Centre to investigate the origin
of the confagration. Immediately fol-
lowing the fire the officers of the in
stitution began quiet investigation
and the further they got into the
case, the more they became convinced
that the fire had been set for the
purpose of destroying the building,
probably with the hope that some of
the inmates of. this particular cottage
could escape. The finger of guilt
pointed to Edith Dawson, age 10, and
for several years an inmate of the
Home School. The Dawson girl has
been continual source of trouble
ever since she entered the institution.
utter Mr.. Kingsley arrived on the
scene and began to look into the mat
ter, he too became convinced that
the Dawson girl was the one guilty
of the act. Upon being taken to the
Administration building and given a
severe questioning, she admitted that
she had set the fire by carrying live
Goals from the furnace and placing
them in a barrel containing kindling
wood and other infammable material.
In her confession the Dawson girl
implicated Nora Driscoll, of Ovation
ma, and Lillian Russ of Minneapolis,
as having had guilty knowledge Of
the act. Several other girls are being
watched with the theory that they too
knew that the building was to be
burned.
Friday of last week warrant was
sworn out charging Edith Dawson,
10, Lillian Russ, II, and Nora Dris-
coll aged Is, with arson in the second
degree. The three girls were taken to
st. Cloud and lodged in the Stearns
County Jail, and after the preliminary
hearing held Monday of this week,
they were bound over to the Decem-
Der term of the Stearns County Dis
trict Court, after which they were
remanded to Jail until bonds were
furnished for them.
The Herald understands that sever
al of the girls who were inmates of
the Irene Petit cottage were also liv-
ing in the cottage on the farm north
eaast of Sank Centre, generally known
as "Siberia" at the time it was de-
stroyed by fire about year and a
half ago. The loss of the farm cot
tage fire was about 100000 and about
$4,000 worth of property was de-
stroyed with the burning of the Irene
Petit cottage. The state of Minneso-
ia carries it's own insurance.
The stories in the ST. Cloud and
Twin City papers that the lives of
the other inmates were endangered by
the fire of the Irene Pitt cottage are
erroneous. The fire was discovered
shortly bfore the noon hour and in
less than five minutes, each and every
one of the eighteen girls of the cot
tage were safely housed in the Admin
istration building about 600 feet away.
Late information is that the girls
have indicated willingness to waive
grand jury action and enter a plea OF
guilty before Judge Roeser. The
crime was arson in the second degree
which carried with it sentence of
from sven to fifteen years. 1t is
possible that the girls will be allowed
to plead guilty to third degree arson
which carries with it sentence of
not more than seven years. They will
probably be committed to the Wo-
mems Reformatory at Shakopee the
latter part Of the week.
Soldier Orator to Speak in,