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IS THREATENED BY FIRE SUNDAY NIGHTThe Village of Venice, eight miles southwest of this city, was visited by a disastrous fire last night/one ot its principal buildings js in rimis, two families me homeless and Virgil Itatyer and hU wife are detained in Ibis* cily midcf arrest and on'suspicion of incendiarism.The building destroyed was Ihe well known Frank Ochs hold properly/It was located in The ceiilcr of the village a1 the .convergence of several roads .ami was Uie most prominent building In the town. It was a large fraujg structure, I wo awl a . Ijiilf stories in height ami in addition To two hallways, it contained twenty-one rooms. It was rebuilt snul enlarged about 1875, and'was for many years used 'for hotel purposes.For the past llirce months the lower apartments had been occupied by Virgil Heavrc, ami his wife who conducted a grocery and ice cream parlor therein and also resided there. Other parts of the building were occupied by James Brandt, a painter, and his fam-‘ ily consisting of a wife and five children rfwl by Mrs, Frank' Ochs, an old lady 81 years of age who owned (he properly. )Il^was about 11 o’clock last night when Virgil Beaver walked into R. SL Meeker’s saloon on a corner opposite from the Ochs building, ami without sucmiug to be unduly excited/it is said, informed the several, occupants of the saloon I hat his place was orr lire, and he asked thorn to conic'and help him. 1'herc was at once a rush for the place and it was seen that the interior of the apartment used as an ice cream parlor on'the west side,first floor, was in flames,A ihjift was broken open, aJ bucket brigade quickly formal, water procured from wells and cisterns'bill the fire bad loo much start and no headway could he made against’it: Theflames spread rapidly and attention was at once directed in saving'- the contents of (fit! building, ' lBin very few household effects were rescued, however.The fire leaped from room Io room and quickly enveloped the entire structure. !..James Brandt and family and Mrs. Ochs were aroused by the heating in of the door nail quickly evacuated the building and were taken cafe of by neighbors. Rat wfion tt was seen that tbe/properly was doomed efforts were tm'ticd to. saving adjoining buildings.Very fortunately there was little* or no wind and the rain llial had [alien still further aided the work. Still; • it looked at one lime as though the cnL lire village VotiJd be serious!*' threat/ encd. A call for assistance was Vent to Lliis city bn! could not be responded to as it was know it that there were no water facilities available even if the Hrt engine could have . been ' despatched to the .town*People mounted to roofs ami .deluged them willi waler amid showers of falling sparks. The light‘of the burning building was seen in this city and for miles around. Gradually the lire exhausted i I self' from lack of further material lo feed upon and where yesterday there was a pretentious structure, there is today but a mass of blackened ruirts.The loss on I he building, which was total, is ctinialcrl at from $4,0130 to $5,000, partly covered by insurance.'After the Tire' Charles Ste.veus,- a rclallvo of .Mrs. Ochs, telephoned the police and asked the local officers to arrest Beaver and his wife who had started, for 'l-tanriltuu iwfth a horse and spring wagon. Elevens said the fire looked suspicions; Officers Ke5s-ei* and Bymmes met -Beaver uml hls wife on the Columlfim bridge. They were placed under arrest and were •brquglit to the police headquarters. Beaver was locked up in the police station and* Jiiu -wife was Jnken lo jafL The wagon in which the officer « and the Beavers were rbbng ■broke down on tho way Id the police, station. Kcfser-was painfully injured and will he compelled to remain off duty several days. 3 low ever, he was not dangerously hurt.—',.
Newspaper Details
Hamilton Telegraph
Hamilton, Ohio, US
Thu, Aug 19, 1909
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Lane P.
OH, USA 20 Jan 2018
Other Publications Near Hamilton, Ohio
Hamilton Evening Democrat
Hamilton Daily Democrat
Hamilton Weekly Hamilton Telegraph
Daily Telegraph
Hamilton Guidon
