Ritzville Under Siege by a Serial Arsonist
After a failed attempt to torch a warehouse, the town council posts a reward for an elusive firebug terrorizing the business district.
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.
What promised to be a fatal fire in Ritzville broke out at 1 o'clock this morning in the rear of P. L. Kretzer's warehouse. The light from the blaze awoke several persons sleeping near the building and they gave the alarm. No serious damage was done as only a small part of the warehouse was consumed. The origin of the fire is generally supposed to be the work of an incendiary, as those who first discovered it found coal oil thrown all over the building and a lot of wood and other stuff piled up against the warehouse. Had it been ten minutes later, the fire would have swept down one side of Main street, destroying several large business houses. The town council has offered a reward of $500 for the conviction of the firebug. This is the fifth attempt to burn buildings here.
“Those who first discovered it also discovered coal oil thrown all over the building.”
Arson has historically been a terrifying threat in frontier towns built of wood. Today, the desperation of fire as a weapon in civic disputes still echoes, though our infrastructure and emergency response have significantly altered the stakes.
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