Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 107, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1909 — INDIANAPOLIS FIRE STARTED BY WATCHMAN. [ARTICLE]

INDIANAPOLIS FIRE STARTED BY WATCHMAN.

Man Confesses To Having Started Blaze Te Secnre Day of Rest and Also To Get Even. The big fire that occurred at Indianapolis Wednesday and which destroyed the McDougal kitchen furniture plant, several stores and residences and almost resulted in the killing of three firemen, was started by Otto Treuh'ann, a watchman at the plant, according to his own confession. Teuhann did not want to work and he thought he could get a day’s rest if he burned up a truck of lumber that was to be used the next day. He says that he has always been a lover of fires and that he liked to see the fire department run, so he touched a match to the lumber after placing some inflammable material beneath. After telling various conflicting stories to the police, he finally made a clean breast of the arson and said that the McDougal company had worked him too hard the day before and then made matters worse by detailing him to Watch the plant that night. He decided to “get even” and burned the building. The fire caused a loss of $125,00Q. Treuhann is under arrest and will get a penitentiary sentence. He is 24 years of age.