BONNE TERRE HAS DISASTROUS FIRE
Published by THE BONNE TERRE STAR, Bonne Terre, St. Francois Co. MO, Dec. 8, 1916.

The above photo which was taken Dec. 3, 1916, was contributed by Rollin Becker.

Sunday Morning Blaze Destroys Brokenshire and Wells Buildings and Stocks of Goods 
Belonging to M. Cohen, Emily Brokenshire and Professional Office of Dr. T. A. Son.

M. COHEN ARRESTED FOLLOWING FIRE
-----------------
S. A. Holdman Swears to Affidavit, Cohen is Taken to Farmington 
and Indicted by Grand Jury.

    At about nine o'clock in the morning Night Watchman M. H. Thompson was coming up the street when he saw smoke issuing from crevices in all the doors of the Brokenshire building.  He rushed up to find that the building was all ablaze on the inside and then he hastened to Fire House No. 3 where he turned in the alarm and started dragging out the hose reel.

    About this time others discovered the fire and found Mr. Cohen, one of the tenants of the building, at the Francis Meat Market, where he was notified that his store was on fire, which fact did not appear to excite him.

    In a relatively short time the hose arrived and the building was broken into and a stream of water started to play on the fire which however seemed to have spread to all parts of the building both up and down stairs and the building was seen to be doomed.

    Attention was directed to saving the Ward and Straub buildings on the west, the Gordon Rock on the east, the shacks in the rear of the Brokenshire and Wells buildings, the Linville Hotel to the rear and the buildings across the street.

    One stream of water was nearly continuously used on the Wells building a frame sheet iron covered structure, while other steams were brought to play on buildings in other locations.

    The Brokenshire building, one story stone, second story frame, sheet iron covered, valued at $7,000 and with no insurance was destroyed.

    The tenants of the Brokenshire building were Dr. T. A. Son, loss of library, instruments, medicines and office equipment, value $2,000, no insurance.

    M. Cohen Dry Goods, Ladies and Gents Furnishings, value $7,000, various reports.  He had no insurance locally, but reported that he had $1,600 in St. Louis, which Cohen denies.

    Wells building frame building two stories, sheet iron covered, value $2,500 with $1,000 insurance.  Partly destroyed.

    Aronson - Wallace Co., tenants of Wells building, dry goods, ladies and gents furnishings.  No insurance, nearly everything saved.

    News Printing office, tenant of Wells building.   That part of building little damaged, except by water damage to the News confined to paper stock.

    Gordon Rock building east, damage to roof, slight.

    Charles Ward, west of Brokenshire building, roof of store and barn damaged, some water damage.  Insured.

    Across the street the Schneider building was somewhat scorched, and nearly all the glass front broken by fire.  No insurance.

    Quick Payment Old Line Life Insurance Co., large plate glass broken by heat.  Door and casings charred.  Insured.

    Mitchell building owned by A. Gordon scorched and windows broken out.  Insured.

    W. H. Andrews, building scorched. 

M. COHEN SAID TO HAVE STARTED FIRE.  

    During the fire of last Sunday a report spread like wild fire among the people that M. Cohen had started the fire.

    Cohen had been living in the rear of the store doing his own cooking on a gasoline stove and in the past few weeks there had been one or two fires narrowly averted from that gasoline stove, and a great many people were afraid of his carelessness bringing in a larger fire and were so uneasy that Mr. Brokenshire had given Mr. Cohen notice to vacate.

    Added to this was the fact that in Circuit Court last week Edna Weiman had been given a judgment against Cohen.

    During the fire a great many stories were circulated that someone had seen Cohen start the fire and a culmination was reached when Todd Holdman swore to an affidavit on the strength of which Cohen was taken to jail at Farmington where on Monday the grand jury indicted him for arson.

    There was a dance in the hall over the Cohen store Saturday night, some of the dancers remaining up until morning and watching the premises.  Mr. Aronson of the Aronson- Wallace Co. had left for St. Louis on the early morning train and had surveyed the situation at 5 a.m.

FIRE SIDELIGHTS.  

    Robert Andrews, home for a visit, started into the store after a hammer and nails to nail sheet iron over the store windows, reported to have returned with seven hammers and two nails.

    A. Bressler almost walked into the fire from the Wells building porch, but the saving of the building is largely due to his holding the water on the fire for a few minutes.

    There is no use using water unless the hose will reach to throw it somewhere.

    Fire cut down Sunday School attendance.

    Published by THE BONNE TERRE STAR, Bonne Terre, St. Francois Co. MO, Dec. 8, 1916.   

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