A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > Kentucky > Ballard http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=2733 Also visit our new sister site: http://www.Genealogy101.com Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=42317 Submitted by: SharonTMSI Article Title: Newspaper unknown Article Date: June 14 ???? Article Description: Fire in B. C. Meriwether's store Alleged “Fire-Bugs” Arrest Two Men After Bad Blaze At La Center, Ky. Article Text: Alleged “Fire-Bugs” Arrest Two Men After Bad Blaze At La Center, Ky. Marshal Finds Pair In Fired Building Engaged in Looting Store Draws Gun, And Puts Both in Detention Volunteers Fight Flames and Manage to Confine to Single Block La Center, Ky., June 14— Firebugs are blamed for a damaging fire which threatened to destroy a large part of the town of La Center early today. Two white men were caught in the general store of B. C. Meriwether about 12:30 o’clock last night when W. A. Stratton, town marshal, smelled smoke and began a search of business buildings in the downtown district. He arrested Vernon (Little Dick) Owen, of La Center and Harry Thorpe, a resident of Barlow. Fire was raging inside the Meriwether store when Marshal Stratton entered, but he was afraid to turn in the alarm until he had taken the two prisoners to the city lockup. Within a few minutes the blaze had spread to the confectionery of Charles Burnley, adjoining the Meriwether store, and was threatening to wipe out a whole block of stores. Volunteer fire fighters drained most of the wells in La Center and with buckets of water kept nearly buildings ____________ ery, both two story brick buildings, were completely destroyed. A section of the brick walls were left standing but toppled over today. The whole town turned out to help fight the fire, which was one of the most damaging in the history of La Center and threatened to destroy a large part of the town. Damage suffered by Meriwether and Burnley will probably reach $15,000 or $20,000. Prisoners Had Hams. When arrested by Marshal Stratton, Owen and Thorpe had five sides of bacon in a Ford car, which they had parked outside, officials stated. A bottle of corn whiskey was also found in the car. Owen and Thorpe are alleged to have set fire to the store deliberately, using coal oil and rags. After they were arrested, Owen is said to have told officers that he old regretted that they didn’t get the whole d____ town.” Owen is married and has three children. He has a police record, according to authorities. He is known here as “Little Dick.” Thorpe is also married and lives in Barlow. Nothing is known of him here. An officer took the two prisoners to Wickliffe today for safekeeping. It was indicated that they would be charged with storebreaking, robbery and arson. When caught inside the Meriwether store, the two men were preparing to carry out more food and merchandise to their car, Marshal Stratton said. He drew a gun on the two men and ordered them to walk out. The fire was raging in the back part of the store at the time. Second Article Two Youths Are Caught By Town Marshal in Burning Store Building At La Center Meriwether Store and Burnley Confectionery Destroyed By Fire Early Yesterday La Center, Ky., June 14— Vernon (Little Dick) Owen, 25, of LaCenter, and Harry Thorp, 22, of Barlow, are being held in jail here following a fire early this morning which destroyed the general store of B. C. Meriwether and the confectionery of Charles Burnley, causing a loss of approximately $15,000. According to W. A. Stratton, town marshal who arrested the youths, he caught them in the Meriwether store shortly after the fire had broken out in that building at 1:30 o’clock. Oil had been scattered throughout the rear of the store, the marshal said. It is believed the building was set fire to cover up a robbery. The marshal made a hurried investigation of the business district when he smelled smoke and located the fire in the Meriwether building. Entering the building, he found Owen and Thorpe, and without waiting to rouse the villagers, rushed the youths to jail. The fire spread quickly to the confectionery and had enveloped both buildings when the town was aroused. Volunteer firemen carried buckets to water from every well in town and succeeded in confining the flames to the two buildings, both of which were built of brick and were two stories in height. Virtually the whole town turned out to fight the fire, the most disastrous in the town’s history. Five sides of bacon and a bottle of white whiskey were found in a Ford car parked near the burned grocery. The car was said to have been parked there by Owen and Thorpe. Following the arrest of the youths, Owen told officers he only regretted that “we didn’t get the … (missing) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ KY-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com