Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1923-12-06
CAFE IS SET
ON FIRE BY
BOLD OUTLAW
Seizes Proprietor While
Asleep, Ties Hands with
Wire, Sets Building Afire
Firemen Have Difficulty in
SURPRISING Flames in Base
ment of Palace Restaurant

Fire originating in the basement of
the Palace cafe. at 4 80 Monday morn
| ing, wrecked the interior of. the Won
Berge building, ON Main street,
: Grangeville, causing loss of perhaps
$4,000 to the building and contents.
The floor collapsed. in both the
cafe and the adjoining vacant store
room. The building is owned by Mrs.
G. II. Carrots, of Spokane Damage to
the building is estimated at approxi-
mately $4,000, fully covered by insur-
ance Loss to the restaurant, owned
by H. II. Corum and Ed Holstein, is
practically total. Insurance of S1400
was carried on the restaurant fixtures.
Hard Work by Firemen
When the fire was discovered, it
was raging furiously in the basement
of the building, and almost three
hours of hard work on the part of
the volunteer fire department was ne
cessary, before the flames were sup
pressed. Four streams of water were
poured on the flames, two from the
front and two from the rear. Smoke
was iHltnHt, anu lnt WOIk VI
the firemen. Access to the front part
of the basement was gained by chop
ping holes through the sidewalk, and
then cutting into the basement.
Fire Chief ID. II. Sasenbery declared
that the fire was the most difficult
to handle of all that he had fought
in the many years he has been on
the fire department. When firemen
thought the flames had been brought
under control, they would break OUT
anew.
Tells How Fire Started
The fire, according to II. 70. Corum,
one of the proprietors of the cafe,
was started by a bandit of unknown
identity, who awOke Mr.. Corum, as
he was sleeping in the basement. de-
manded money, and when he received
none, tied Mr.. Corum's hands behind
him with wire, and set fire to the
building.
Mr.. Corum, scantily clad. appeared
in the rooms of Sam Shepler and E.
M. Long, in the Grangeville Savings
& Trust building, with his hands wired
behind him and with cloth gag in
his mouth, and aroused them from
their slumbers, telling them of the
robbery and fire. They hurriedly
dressed and sounded the fire alarm.
Mr.. Corum, Monday noon, gave the
Free Press details of the affair. He
said be was asleep in the basement
when man broke in the rear door
of the basement and jumped on Mr..
Corum's back, as he lay in bed. The
man pulled Mr.. Corum's hands behind
him and tied them with wire, and then
demanded money. Mr.. Corum said he
had no money, and advised the bandit
to this effect
Demands for Money
"He then kept demanding money"
said Mr.. Corum, land finally took me
into another room, and gathered paper
and waste"
"I'll make you tell (where the money
was hidden) or I'll burn the d
building up@ Mr.. Corum said the
bandit told him.
The bandit then set fire to the refuse
and gagged Mr.. Corum.
HE tore up a piece of the pillow
slip and tore part of it and put it
in my mouth" related Mr. Corum.
He got my key when he searched my
pants and went out the front door"
Mr.. Corum said this happened about
o'clock.
when he left" said Mr.. Corum, Il
went out and went to Longs, over
the City Meat market and he (Long)
removed the wire and gag. / went
back to get my clothes, and couldn't
get in" This was due to fire and
smoke.
BarefoOted in Snow
When he appeared at the rooms in
the Trust building, Mr.. Corum was
clad in his underclothes and shirt and
was barefooted. The ground was COW
cred with snow.
Resuming the story of the robbery,
Mr.. Corum said:
"He (the robber) had a short stub
by mustache-a man of about my size,
dressed in overalls. He had a big
Colts revolver He said he had a
notion to kill me and shoot me dead
when / didn't get the money. He laid
the gun on the dresser when he tied
my hands,"
Mr. Corum exhibited welt on the
back of his head which he said was
the result of a blow inflicted by the
robber.
Mr.. Corum said he would reengage
in the restaurant business in Grange
Vile as soon as possible.