Newspaper Tidbits from Rick B Monday, March 20, 2006 "The South Bend Weekly Tribune", Saturday, January 15, 1898, page 5 Fire in the Old Armory. The old Third Regiment armory came near being destroyed by fire Friday evening. It is thought that someone entered the building from a rear alley window and poured coal-oil on the floor, then touching a match to it. A large hole was burned in the floor and three chairs and two lockers were totally destroyed. In some mysterious way the blaze was extinguished otherwise the loss would have been about $4,000 to the state.