Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1903 — Old Sol the incendiary. [ARTICLE]

Old Sol the incendiary.

A number of mysterious fires have originated in Winamao lately and muoh valuable property has been destroyed. Theories of spontaneous oombustion and incendiarism have beeu advanced. A business man while writing at his desk last week noticed the peouliar manner in whioh the sua,s rays, after passing through a piateglas* wiudow, were refraoted thr =ngb a round glass inkstand aud focused on some papers. Suddenly a ourl of smoke appeared and in a moment the papers were ablaze. Before the flames could be extinguished the desk was badly soorohed. Had the owner been out of bis offioe the finest block ia towa would have been destroyed and the mystery would still be unsolved.