Fire Bugs
source date: 1891
availability: public-domain

ich he claimed had been given to him by his partner. This was another pointer for Rodriguez, and he soon secured the partner in crime. As Mr. Schutz had offered $100 re- ward for the arrest and conviction of the thieves, it looks as though Rodriguez is in luck. Fire Bugs About 2 o’clock yesterday morning it was discovered that the wholesale house of Fleming & Rosecrans was on fire. The fire was soon gotten under control, the entire loss was $143. It was then discovered that the store had been entered from the rear, and that the parties had attempted to break open the safe, and after failing in that, and robbing the cash drawer of some four or five dollars, had drawn coal oil from a tank in the rear of the building and poured it along the floor and frame partition on the inside. The fire had first been started behind the bar, and it is supposed that the ex- plosion of a lot of celluloid chips frightened the robbers away before they had time to fire the other part of the building. The explosion of the chips gave the alarm almost as soon as the fire was started, and had it not been for this, doubtless the entire block would have burned down, as the many barrels of whiskey would soon have been in flames, making it almost im- possible to put out the fire. It was a fortunate escape from what might have been a very serious blow to the town.