Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1917 — SCHOOL HOUSE BURNED DOWN [ARTICLE]

SCHOOL HOUSE BURNED DOWN

Deputy State Fire Marshal Here to Investigate Cause PATRONS DISLIKED TEACHER And Indications Are That Fire Was No Doubt of an Incendiary Origin—No Arrests Yet Made. The Oak Grove school house in Walker township burned to the ground jat an early hour Saturday morning, and the books and other property of the twenty-seven pupils, together with the school furniture and supplies, were all lost. The fire was said to have been caused (by a defective flue, but existing conditions in the school district were such as to cause some to doubt this and the state fire marshal was asked to make an investigation. Miss Eva Noland of Routs, a daughter Of Dr. Noland, has taught the school since its opening last September. She was not satisfactory to all of the patrons, hut when the matter came to a critical test eight of the twelve patrons petitioned that she remain. However, complaints were so general that County Superintendent L&mson asked for a court of inquiry, which was conducted at Wheatfield by Superintedent Schanlaub of Newton county, Superintendent Cole of Porter county and Superintendent Cannon of Starke county. These ‘three gentlemen held a preliminary hearing at Wheatfield, where school patrons were questioned, and then visited the school without announcing their coming. There they interview the pupils, who were almost unanimous in favor of their teacher.

When it was considered that this was Miss Noland’s first experience as a teacher; that the school was taught by a new teacher last year, and the year before that & a teacher had been dismissed, the board decided that Miss Noland had been handicapped and recommended that she be retained. - The fire following so closely upon the occurrences recorded above seems to have aroused the of some people that the fire was of incendiary origin, hence the request for an investigation by the state fire marshal. Deputy Fire Marshal Hoover came to Rensselaer Saturday and immediately went put to the scene of the fire to investigate matters. He questioned all of the patrons of the school and people living in that vicinity and considerable evidence of moment wa® procured. In fact, Mr. Hoover stated after returning to Rensselaer that there was no possible doubt but that the fire was of incendiary origin. Greeley Comer, who lives some distance from the school house, was the first to see the fire and thinking it was the house of V. M. Peer, the Watkins medicine man, who lives near the school, he called the latter on the telephone. Mr. Peer investigated and ascertained that it was the school house. Several residents of the vicinity told Mr. Hoover that about the time of the fire a light rig drawn by two horses passed hurriedly along the road, but they did not know in which direction it was going. Mr, Hoover also found some unusual tracks leading to and from the scene of the fire, one made by a rubber boot and the other by a shoe, and it is asserted that he also found the owners of the footwear making the tracks. However, with all the information obtained there is none sufficient to warrant an arrest, and, it is quite probable the matter may be investigated further, or it may be investigated further, or it may be dropped, as the fire marshal has left the county and did not say what he proposed to do. The pupils living in this district will be transported to neighboring schools, and 'the matter of erecting another building decided later. The’ trustee is thinking some of establishing a consolidated school. ■ Mt. Hoover went to Goodland to investigate a recent fire there.