The Firebug of Fairhaven
A former assistant fire chief is arrested in Fairhaven after being caught hiding under a building just as a new fire broke out.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Frank E. Biles, formerly assistant chief of the fire department, is under arrest in the Fairhaven city jail charged with incendiarism. He was caught hiding under the Blondin block about 2 o'clock today, in close proximity to a fire discovered minutes earlier. While he initially admitted his guilt to witnesses, he now protests his innocence. Numerous fires of incendiary origin have plagued the town over the past year. Biles, who bears an unsavory reputation despite coming from a respectable family, is suspected to be the culprit behind the string of blazes.
“No doubt is now expressed that Biles is the guilty party, and the feeling against him is very strong.”
Incendiary crimes and arson were a constant anxiety in Pacific Northwest boomtowns built largely of wood. The 'insider' nature of the suspect—a former fire official—adds a layer of civic betrayal typical of the high-stakes growth era.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.