SHANGHAI LUMBER COMPANY
Devitt
August 8, 1930: "W. J. Merrick, manager of the Shanghai Lumber company mill at Devitt, in western Benton county, which burned a week ago, R. R. Norton, employe, and nightwatchman M. L. Schuster are under arrest charged with arson in the night time. The bail of Manager Merrick has been fixed at $5000, which sum has been raised and he is at liberty. His hearing has been set for Tuesday.
Taken into custody by Sheriff Newton this morning, assisted by three deputies from the state fire marshall's office, two men are in the Benton county jail. Suspicion was aroused against these three men immediately after the fire, which burned the mill to the ground, and a quit investigation has been conducted by the sheriff's office, and also by the state deputies, and Tom Graham, chief of the Corvallis fire department.
It is reported that Norton confessed, after severe cross questioning, to setting the mill afire with kerosene, which did not burn well, and later he poured some gasoline into the small fire which started to make the blaze rise higher.
Nightwatchman Schuster is accused of watching proceedings and seeing that the coast was clear while Norton was firing the mill. There has been no hearing heard and details have not been definitely fixed by District Attorney Fred McHenry. Merrick is thought to have arranged the plan.
Immediately after the mill fire, an investigation was begun and pushed so fast that the arrests were made this morning. The Shanghai Lumber company carried insurance of $25,000 on the mill, machinery and lumber. For the past 48 hours Sheriff Newton and aides have worked almost continuously, calling the state deputies to help put the finishing touches to the tangled thread of evidence.
Norton and Schuster are in custody, and will be further questioned this afternoon." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
Taken into custody by Sheriff Newton this morning, assisted by three deputies from the state fire marshall's office, two men are in the Benton county jail. Suspicion was aroused against these three men immediately after the fire, which burned the mill to the ground, and a quit investigation has been conducted by the sheriff's office, and also by the state deputies, and Tom Graham, chief of the Corvallis fire department.
It is reported that Norton confessed, after severe cross questioning, to setting the mill afire with kerosene, which did not burn well, and later he poured some gasoline into the small fire which started to make the blaze rise higher.
Nightwatchman Schuster is accused of watching proceedings and seeing that the coast was clear while Norton was firing the mill. There has been no hearing heard and details have not been definitely fixed by District Attorney Fred McHenry. Merrick is thought to have arranged the plan.
Immediately after the mill fire, an investigation was begun and pushed so fast that the arrests were made this morning. The Shanghai Lumber company carried insurance of $25,000 on the mill, machinery and lumber. For the past 48 hours Sheriff Newton and aides have worked almost continuously, calling the state deputies to help put the finishing touches to the tangled thread of evidence.
Norton and Schuster are in custody, and will be further questioned this afternoon." (Corvallis Gazette-Times)