The Failed Insurance Fire
A tenant narrowly escapes a fire set by an arsonist owner who couldn't collect insurance on an empty house.
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.
John Sachs of Dayton was arrested Sunday, charged with arson. His trial occurred Tuesday in Justice Hoffman's court and the prisoner was bound over to the superior court in the sum of $1,000. It seems that Sachs had an unoccupied farm house about two miles from the city which was insured. Sachs found out that should the house burn down while unoccupied he would get no insurance, and during the past six weeks he has been endeavoring to get someone to move in. Finally, a man and his wife named Green moved into the house. Saturday morning, about 2 o'clock, the tenant heard a noise outside. He arose and went out. As he turned the corner of the building, he saw Sachs light a match and apply it to some coal oil that he had poured on the outside door and porch. As soon as Sachs saw the oil blaze up, he walked leisurely away. When Sachs had gone a short distance, Mr. Green put the fire out without much difficulty.
“As soon as Sachs saw the oil blaze up he walked leisurely away, looking back over his shoulder once in a while to see if the fire was going.”
Insurance fraud remains a common motive in property crimes today, though usually executed with more sophistication than pouring coal oil on a porch. This story provides a rare, clear window into the desperate side of early property speculation in Washington State.
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