OCR Text |
Show THE HOTEL SCARE The Mystery of the Spring-ville Spring-ville Fires is Solved. Nonsensical Theories Exploded and the Truth Found Out. The Astrologer a Fake Also the Chemical Theory All Now is Serene. A most sensational affair occurred in Spnugvnle Wednesday and yesterda. On the days mentioned the Boyer House in Spr'umviiie has been the scene of some very mysterious fires, which, to all appearances, ongin.r.ed oy some unseen power. Dining the lime of the lires the town has been excited ex-cited to the highest pitch, and some of the wildest rumors were set alloat, which did much to increase the excitement. excite-ment. Hearing some wild reports of the fire a DiseAicii reporter was sent over to Spin. gville to get the straight of the sLory, and here it is as given to the reporter re-porter oy tiie proprietor, P. II. Boyer, and his family, assisted ev Marshal J. E. Hall: The fires first started on Sunday afternoon af-ternoon w hen the window curt.iins in the parlor were nearly consumed, and considerable damage was done lo toe carpet. A lady, one of the Russell Dramatic Company, saw tiie bla.e and hy the prompt applicaiioii of water the dimes were soon extinguished. No other fires were started until Tuesday evening, when the granary look hie, ami on Wednesday morning it again started to blaze, but this lime on the opposite side. Roth of the.-e . ere noticed in time and extinguished. Immediately after this a ctoiio :i-rlosct under the stairway was lire.l ami a large amount ot cloihi.ig consumed, 1 nit this was also noticed and put out oefofe any serious damage res. died, lli is was between 0 and loo'clock, and iromthaton the people of Ihehi-ise wire kept busy extinguishing lires, which seemed to start m every place at once. First the children's tied, in Mrs. Rover's bedroom, then upstairs in a room the curtains of the window were fired, the hat-rack in the kitchen was then called upon, and from there a rush was made lor the piazza, where a mattiess was burning. Then the window win-dow blind upstairs was the scene of conflagration. Toe granary was next on fire near where the first lire started. A clothes basket in the kitchen, wlib h had only been in the house a few minutes, caught lire. The sample room, which is situated about twenty feet from the house, was the next point of interest for the lire hunters, as the tablecloth on one of the sample-tables was on fire. This would no doubt have proved disastrous, lu.d it not been for a boy riding past, who noticed the flames and gave the alarm. This was soon extinguished, and a stronger watch was placed all roun . The house by this tune was like a fair ground, hundreds of people being gathereu around, talking excitedly, one having one theory, while another was able to prove beyond a doubt that he had the correct solution of the mystery. To cap the climax of the day's tires a towel which had been used by Mrs. Boyer, was seen to be on lire in a few minutes after she had laid it down. By this time everything had been removed re-moved from I lie house to the grounds and a strong guard placed around the premises, by Marshal Hall. The family were tak.-n care of by friends and ii w as a noticeable fact that no lires started start-ed in the goods while they were in the lot. On Thursday morning the premises wtre turned over into the hands ol the marshal and with the ey 'i-ifi iiuji ulj, -AuOly wvei yonf WHS exf.1"1 "omtc.. ,,r--r" ' house, so that the crow f "" ' " be content with lookiiigN-i"i"nf.,l"ir!" dows when they had a chance. T:.e first thing on this morning to take fire was a bunch of artificial flowers, then the wall paper in the kitchen was seen to belch forth flames while no one was near it. and immediately after this a paper full of hope in the sink began to burn. Up until this time various theories were advanced as to the cause of the fires, but the prevailing idea was that a chemical compound had been seatered around which caused spontaneous combustion, com-bustion, some going as far as lo say they could smell the peculiar odor of chemicals and others declaring that the flames had the appearance of tahleaux lights. An astrolager who happened to be in tow n offered his souition of the mystery which was to ihc effect that the trouble had started on July 15th. and it would not end tint 1 September loth The chemicals had been scattered by a certain man which he proceeded to des-scribe, des-scribe, the description being that of a man, whom some had linger suspicion. But how nicely these theories the-ories were all exploded remains to be told. There were three men whose suspicions rested on an inmate ot t he house. They figured that the originator origi-nator of the fires must have a thorough knowledge of the house. These gentlemen gen-tlemen were Marshal Hall, his assistant, assist-ant, Mr. Clark, and W. B. Johnstone, a nursery agent, who is a regular boarder at the hotel. Mr. Johnstone, after thoroughly considering con-sidering the situation, he resolved to watch closely. After the paper had been burned in the sink, he noticed a paper sack sitting in a pan, the top ! it having been twisted and the losse part on ion burned, tie jacked it up and remarked to the hired girl, who is about 15 years of age, that it would be an easy thing to set on fire. She replied re-plied that she thought so too. lie then started to throw it out, but changed his mind and took it into a pantry and placed it on a shelf. He then entered the dining room and lay down on a sofa, pretending to go to sleep. The hired girl followed him and asked if he was sleeping. He replied that he was tiled and did not wan to be bothered. Hie retiaed into the pantry, which has a door leading into the dining room and one into the kitchen, she looked cautiously around and closed the doors. As soon as the doors were closed Johnstone John-stone heard a match struck in the pantry. pan-try. The girl came into the dining room from the kitchen in a few seconds, sec-onds, and he remarked to her, "I tUink I smell fire." .She answered, "So do I," ami he immediately made a rush for the pantry and found the pa'pf-r in the pan, on fire. He seized the pan and threw it out doors, remarking to Mr. Rover, " Take care of .hat girl and you will have no more fires." The girl started to cry at that, seemingly seem-ingly offended at beingaccused of starting start-ing the fires. Nothing was said to her during the day until about -5 o'clock, when Marshal Hall talked to her, telling tel-ling her to speak the truth and relieve the family of the buwten which they were under, but she positively refused to say anything. She talked to the children several times during the day, and askeil what would be done to her if she told the truth, and wound u? by saving she would not tell about it even if they killed her. Mrs. Boyer talked to her for a long time, but could not get any satisfaction from her. W. B. Johnstone then took her in hand, and to him she confessed that she had caused five of the fires, but str ngly affirmed af-firmed that she knew nothing about the others. She afterwards said in the presence of Marshal Hall, W. B. Johnstone. W. G. Alexander, D. C. Johnson and P. II. Boyer that she had caused all t'.e Fires except the first one in the parlor and the first one in the granary. Mr. BoverV little five-year-old boy says that he started the fire in the limitary, and Hie girl says that after af-ter seeing it a sort of a craving to set j fire to everything around her t' ok pos-1 6eEsion of her. At first she w as prompt- i ed to tell Mr. Boyer. but concluded not j ! to do so; then something seemed to say j to her set this on lire and j something else would say not to do j it. Further than this no reason. for her rash acts could be arrived at. ; During the fires none worked harder to i extinguish them than did this girl, i and she often helped to give the alarm, I but this mania seemed to have entire control over her. ! In an interview with the reporter she j stated that her name was Nicolena ! Erickson, a native of .Norway. She was brought here two years ago by lady by the name of Mrs. Hansen, and has no relatives this Side of Norw ay. She had worked for Don C. Johnson and had always been considered a very smart girl and a good W orker. She is of medium height and of rather si mi build. To the epics'. ions asked her she replied in a very dogged sort of way. Mr. Boyer stated to the reporter that the only thills that has ever been notio-d wrong in her. is at times when she becomes ery sulky and seems des-j des-j p.uident. I Tiie mystery has now been thoroughly thorough-ly solved, and it is to be hoped that tl.e rumors of chemicals being scattered around the house will not, be credited any longer. Mr. aud Mrs. Boyer will continue to run the:r hotel in the same style as heretofore and guests will find themselves made comfortable and en- jttrtainedin a very e.greeabie manner. j They are sincerely grateful to tiie go-'d ' people of Spi ingvilie who h tve so noiuy lent their assistance during this trying ordeal. Tin girl ill be taken beioie Justice Rover to-dar ami it is expected that steps will be taken to Lave her sent I to the rel'i rm school. |