Smyrna times., 1926-09-08
ANOTHER FIRE OVER At HARTLY
SUMMONS SMYRNA FIRE TRUCK
16 BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND
HARTLY IS PREY TO FIRE BUG
Fire Early Friday Morning Destroys
General Store of James III. Parker
Son Rescued From End Floor


General Store of James I'll. Parker
Son Rescued From End Floor
Hartly's frebug cut loose again
early Friday, burning the general
store of James H. Parker and trap
ping the proprietor's son Oliver, on
an upper floor from which fremen
rescued him just as the building was
about to collapse. The Smyrna siren
was set off at 2.40 and in a short
space of time the Smyrna fire truck,
which had just gotten in from Easton
Carnival, was off. Clayton and Dover
fire companies also responded. AS a
result of the latest outrage, the 300
or more citizens of the town again are
threatening drastic measures if they
catch the incendiary. The store, afire
all over one side when discovered,
burned to the ground with a loss of
$4,000. All books and account of the
store were destroyed. There was no
insurance on the building or stock. 1t
is reported that this is the sixteenth
building in and around Hartly to be
burned since last winter or since the
fire bugs activities started. The build
ing burned early Friday was owned by
William H. Poore, county comptroller
of Kent county. It was situated on
plot of ground adjoining the West
Dover Trust Company James z.
Parker, the proprietor Of the store,
has been i'll for a long time and he
has been living with his sister in
Trappe, Maryland. His son, Oliver,
has been conducting the business for
him. Thursday night the store was
closed as Mr.. Parker, with another
merchant of the town, was away on
business trip. He returned home
about 1.3O o'clock and Immediately
went to bed. He had been sleeping in
room on the second floor of the
store building. Being extremely tired
his slumbers were deep and when the
blaze was discovered it was with the
greatest difficulty he was aroused. He
had barely time to gather up his
clothes and escape thru the second
story window by way of firemen's 5
ladder.
Exploding Shot Gun Shell Add Danger
Mr.. Parker had in stock large
quantity of shotgun shells which he
had laid in for the cunning season.
AS the flames reached these they be-
gan to explode and for a while there
was a great pyrotechnic display. The
flying shot endangered the lives of
everyone about the premises and
practically the whole town turned out
to witness the fire but fortunately no
one was wounded. The bombardment
however, did prevent anyone from ap-
preaching the store or making an eff
fort to save any of the stock. The
building was reduced to pile of ashes
and everything in it was destroyed.
Like practically, all the other incendi-
airy fires that have occurred in Hartly
the blaze at the Parker store was
started from the outside. The wood
work of the building had been saturat-
ed with some fluid of a highly in1am-
mable nature and then the torch ap-
piled. The blaze started at the side
of the building and when neighbors
discovered it the fire had spread with
great rapidity and was eating its way
up the side of the building when the
fire companies arrived.
Identity of Firebug Still Mystery
The identity of the frebug and his
method of working remain as deep a
mystery as the first time he applied
the torch. No one was seen about the
place before the fire was discovered
and not a single clue could be found
that might lead to the capture of the
guilty person. Hartly residents are
satisfied the incendiary is one of their
fellow townspeople but they seem un-
able to catch him at his nefarious
work. Residents are thoroughly
aroused ond terrorized. They have
kept guard in their town at night and
all night but they cannot capture the
firebug. Conditions have become such
that few of the Hartly people undress
to go to bed at night any more. In
every household nearly atleast one
member sits up all night on guard,
fearing the incendiary may next at
tack their property. In many homes
people are living with all their valu-
ables packed ready for immediate re-
moval so they can be carried out in
case their house is fired by the pyro-
maniac.