The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-09-16
Brought in Wood


"The next day Hamrick told me to
haul ten wagonloads of wood, con-
sisting of old rails, boxes and trash
left from building the house, into the
basement" Ecton said. With the
help Of Hamrick the refuse was
hauled into the basement and scat
tered over the floor, Ecton said, to
permit it to dry because it had
showed.
Ecton said electric wires and hay
bale wire were stretched. across the
basement by him and Hamrick. He
said they both went upstairs and
took bed clothing out of the dresser
drawers. The drawers were placed
on the floor, he said. The bed cloth
ing was taken to the basement, &c
ton said.
"Hamrick told me that the night
| set the place af1re to wrap the
clothing on the wires and soak 1t
with coal oil" Ecton said. He also
was instructed by Hamrick to pour
oil upon the wood and trash, Ecton
said.
Ecton said he used about sixty
gallons of oil in saturating the cloth
ing and other materials.
On the night of Jan. 81, Ecton said
he took two chairs, several gallons
Of paint. small mirror, medicine
cabinet dishes and cooking utensils
from the house into the garage,
barn and Toulouse.
Clothing Gone
"Only take things from the house
that won't be noticed" Ecton said
Hamrick advised him. He said
Hamrick told him to leave his cloth
ing in the house when he fired 1t,
but Ecton said he hid it under the
seat of Hamrick's automobile. When
Hamrick and his wife left on Jan.
21 for Florida they took all Of their
clothing with them, Ecton said.
Ecton asserted Hamrick warned
him not to set fire to the house until
the wind was out of the west. 'Ie
told me he didn't want the garage
to burn, but wanted to remodel it
and live in it temporarily until he
can rebuild again." he said. Both
Hamrick and his wife are now living
in this garage.
Ecton declared that Ha ck told
him to call Hoover not at The State
fire marshals office, but at his resi-
dence after the house was destroyed.
Ecton said Hamrick gave him a gun,
which he said belonged to Hoover, to
guard the property.
On the night of Jan. 26, Ecton said
he retired and set the alarm clock
for midnight when he intended to
set the house afire. Ecton said he
was alone all of the time.
AT 10 o'clock l got up and sat on
the bed about a half hour trying to
suppose whether 1 would carry out
Mr.. Hamrick5s orders or not, Ecton
said. To this statement Michael A.
Ryan, defense co-counsel objected,
and Special Judge James M.
feathers ordered it stricken out
Ecton said he then went to the
basement, saturated the bed clothing
which ne hung on the wires and
soaked the debris. He said he then
set the materials ablaze.
Trapped in Cellar
The witness created a sensation
when he said he was trapped in the
cellar by the flames and had to leave
by crawling up chute, onto the
roof and down the spout Ecton said
when he retired he locked all doors
and lost the keys, the flames pre-
venting him from leaving by way Of
the kitchen.
Ecton said he waited for five or
six minutes, and then drove down
the road to a neighbours to call the
fire department When Ecton re-
turned some traction men were there
trying to put the blaze out, Ecton
said. Firemen soon arrived and the
blaze was extinguished.
Ecton declared that after the fire.
men left II began to get ready to
set the house af1re again" He said
he tor CO trash to the attic and set