The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-10-23
FIRE DESTROYS
HUDSON PLACE
Mystery Surrounds Burning
of Yakima Home Owned
by Kennewick Woman
yakima Republic)

Mystery and uncertainty shrouds
the $4,000 fire, classified by officials
and neighbors as incendiary, which at
6 o'clock Monday morning razed DR..
Mary d. Hudson's house on Tieton
drive, just east of Highland drive
The house and adjoining orchard
tract some 10 acres is known as
the Burrill estate. Until year ago
it was owned and operated by Thorn
as o. and Robert /. Burrill, who
grew to manhood on the place which
was developed by their parents some
35 years ago. There was $4500 in
surance on the place.
Scrawled in letters A inches high
across big plate glass window in
the front of the house for several
days before the fire We're these words
Notice! DR.. Mary ID. Hudson OBJ.
tanned this property through fraudu.
lent methods, legal to be sure. Be-
ware" Such is the text as reported
by c. w. Lane, neighbor and per-
sonal agent of DR.. Hudson, who lives
at Kennewick.
Three fragments of broken plate
glass hurriedly taken from the win.
daw by the firemen, while the fire
was at its height, substantiate the
story of the complete message as re.
lated by Lane and confirmed by e.
w. Bracket and other neighbors.
The incomplete writing on the saved
portion of the window is, n-tice!
DR.. - ID. Hudson owned this prop
erty-fraudulent methods-ure.
Bewarel"
Lane and his son, Wesley, saw the
warning written in soap on Friday
evening.
ut was plain then and we could
see it from the road. We wondered
about it at the time" Lane related
this morning. "It was observed by
many neighbors although none seem
to know who did the writing"
Sydney Livesey, prosecuting attor-
ney and resident of the section.
saw the blaze shortly after it had
gone through the roof and is of the
belief the fire is incendiary. Harry
T.. Hawkins, fire chief is not ready
to state the fire is incendiary but
admits he cannot otherwise explain
its origin.
Circumstances and history of the
estate and the BurriIl brothers are
as pathetic as the fire is sensational
and mysterious. When Robert and
Thomas Burrill Were little boys their
parents developed the Tieton drive
site, then nothing but sagebrush and
jack rabbits, into beautiful orchard
tract. One of the finest homes in
the valley at the time was erected.
In later years the sons took over
the place.
The old rear concrete walls, the
high brick flume and the front porch
are all that remain of the home,
About a year ago the BurriIl bro
theirs traded the place to DR.. Hudson
for a 65 acre Kennewick tract. The
Tieton drive estate was taken in on a
$25,000 valuation and the Kennewick
property was valued at $65,O00. The
Burrill equity in the Tieton drive
place was said to be $4,000.
Frost nipped practically every bud
in the Kennewick orchard, then un-
der the operation of the Burrills. AS
result financial institutions could
not advance money on the 1924 crop
as anticipated and unable to meet
payments due the men were compel.
ed to turn the Kennewick place back
to DR.. Hudson, it is said.
The Burrills are residing near Or
chard avenue and Highland drive, in
the vicinity of their former home,
Lane, the personal agent, had beer
, trying to sell the house and a 100
foot lot for $4,000. A local real
estate firm was also endeavoring tc