The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-10-17
FIRE" is PUT
ON TRAIL AT
SCHOOL HERE
Children Of. Junior High
School Stage Playiet as Fire
Prevention Plan

.Fire" was on trial yesterday ut
the high school and William Moore
school. ~
Children from the Junior high
school conducted the Trial oil FIRE.,
the past,weeks agitation on fire pre-
vention week being the Immediate
incentive to/Euch action.
Neil Cameron, acting as district
attorney, conducted the investigation
of Fire" which he said was causing
great financial losses to the Amerl-
can public and many deaths. George
Eisenberg acted as judge and An
thony Faber conducted the defense
for Sire"
The eleven defendants in the case
accused Of being the major causes Of
fire we're: Kerosene, Marion Strut;
cigarette, Norris Kelsvin; match,
Victoria Dunn; electricity, Dorothea
Gutman; rubbish, Morris Norum;
gas, Theodore vettel; defective
chimney, Bernice Joslin; gasoline,
Grace Livdahl; lightning, Fay
Brown; bonfire. James Mills; spon-
taneous combustion, Grace Elsncss
| and carelessness, Jack Cowan.
The jurors hearing the cases were:
Robert Larson, foreman; Edith Ram
stad, Merle Smart, Annette Donaldson
Jane Stackhouse, Dorothea Ward
Maxine Burnsides, Erdman johnson
Vernon Vrzal, Marvel Kjelstrup
James Lund, and William Kraft
Robert Fogarty acted as clerk o
court, and Donald Thompson as cour
officer.
The court room at the high schoo
and at the junior high school wa
filled with interested spectators VIII
watched the trial with deep interest
The children, dressed in symbol
form to represent the various haz
ards, made an impressive picture o
the dangers of fire.
Instead of declaring that the
were guiltless each of the defendant
explained how it was that he cause
so many fires, destroyed so muc
property, and caused so many death
in America, while in Europe they di
not find nearly SO welcome a HON,
They claimed that while they wer
, ready to serve humanity, it was nc
their fault when some other circun
} , stance or person entered and cause
1 the destruction.
5 For instance the testimony give
; by cigarette follows:
Cigarette to the bar"
; Judge: Tell US just what hal
Y pened."
z; "Cigarette. I was in the man
pocket in warehouse, your homo
where a dangerous chemical was b
ing stored. The man knew it Wi
against the rules to smoke me, b'
he was reckless and took chanc
7 When / was almost consumed
3 threw me on the floor and this lgnl
U en some of the chemical scatter'
J about and caused it to explode u
= entire storage. a
8 "The damage amounted to $2,O00,OO
l hut it was not my fault. eau
8 fires only when used by carele
people"
Rubbish made, one Of the most su
Y cessful attempts to shift the blan
for his destruction. He said VIII
, testifying:
I 81 was once man of part, yo
Honor, but now l am only part
a man. l am made up of odds al
h ends from here and there and ha
+ no will of my own. If people rea
ize how dangerous I am, because
Y furnish. fuel for the chance spa
d and often ignite spontaneously, tn
l. would not have me around; but
it find plenty of cellars and attics
g sleep in where the careless hous
keepers never disturb me and ST
there until ! catch fire. / sometim
have to wait years, but the older
am the better / burn. However,
am not at fault, your Honor, becau
- cannot remove myself"
:, Judge: You have. said a go
:, deal, and it is not all rubbish"
At the conclusion of all the e'
dence given by the witnesses the d
= tense attorney made the, plea tn
=. the elements that had been broug
" to trial were as great aids IN 60
= and in progressive civilization j.
that it was due to "Cara'essn"s
that SC many fires occrrrcd in t
United States. When Carelessne
was placed on the stand and ask
what he had to say in defense,
said:
"Nothing, your Honor, exec
that l am an ingrained habit of t
American people. ] begin with t
youngest children and stay wi
them throughout their lives. 9th
countries do not encourage me
any great extent, but I seem to.
welcome in every city, town and v
lage of tho United States, by you
and old and rich and poor alike.
recognize danger, but like to ia
change"
The jury brought in a verdict
CarelaSsneSs's guilt within aim,