INCENDIARISM : Big Trouble for Wassons,Gaskills

WASSON, GASKILL, MERRICK, MINTER, CARTER, ELSON

Posted By: David W Sinclair (email)
Date: 3/10/2008 at 15:27:45

INCENDIARISM
Repeated and persistent Attempts made to Burn the East Side.
Bert Wasson and Creed Gaskill Arrested and charged With the Crime.
A desperate effort was made on last Saturday evening to set fire to the -----------on the east side of ------- -----luck was against --the would be fire fiends and -----were unsuccessful after three attempts. (---- unreadable) The first blaze was discovered just before 9 o'clock and the clamor brought many others to the scene. Two fires were----ered, one to the rear room of the Greenlee paper house and ---floor of the Coll - Wasson's building in the latter room a bed and bedding was on fire and in the Greenlee room a lot of paper and rubbish, was apparently saturated with coal oil---- ----. In the latter room ----- ----was burned, including the ------ and muslin on the walls. The person who set the fire had gained entrance of the room by reaching the
----- ----- from the window. (unreadable ----) Both fires were quickly extinguished and everything was quiet until about ten o'clock when a blaze was discovered by persons who were on the watch in the rear end of Sam Miller's meat market. The rear of the building had been saturated with coal oil and the flames when discovered almost covered the east end of the building. It also was extinguished and no further attempts appear to have been made. On Sunday afternoon Bert Wasson who came here from Kansas about a week before and Creed who occupied a barber shop In ---- --the rooms on the east side, left on No. 1 with tickets for Kansas City. The authorities here telephoned to the sheriff at Princeton to arrest and hold them at Princeton, which he did. They consented to return to Lineville and on Monday morning were brought here on the morning freight, by Sheriff Minter and turned over to Sheriff Merrick, of this county, who together with County Attorney, H. H. Carter had been summoned from Corydon. The prisoners were arraigned before Justice P. C. Hampton. They were placed under bonds of $1,000 each to appear before him on next Monday for preliminary trial. What evidence may be produced to sustain the charges we have not been informed, but it is hoped that the boys will be able to prove their entire innocence.The three buildings set on fire belong to C. D. Wasson and the estate of the late Frank Wasson and were recently sold at sheriff's sale to satisfy a judgment obtained against the parties by C. W. Elson, receiver of the defunct Bank of Lineville, and were bid in by him for the bank.
Lineville Tribune
Lineville, Wayne Co. IA
March 5, 1908
Austin & Austin, Pubs. And Pr