A Monkey Yarn

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 94, 10 March 1888, Page 3

A Monkey Yarn

« A circumstance probably without a parallel, even in the history of the United States, is just reported in advices received from Ashland, Wisconsin Territory, viz., the destruction of the town of Wakefield by fire through the mischievousness of a monkey. The animal was kept in the Vaudeville Theatre, and had the freedom of the place. During the evening of the 25th December, the animal got to some kerosene, covering itself with the oil. It then set fire to itself with a lamp that was burning in the room, and then appeared at the window of the theatre, its antics whilst there amusing che people. Presently the building was in flames, and the monkey, running about in its frenzy, set fire to other places. The buildings in the town were of wood, and the conflagration spread from place to place until the whole of the town was in ruins. Gangs of roughs, during the progress of the fire commenced looting the stores, and in some instances the flames had scarcely 'reached the respective places before the robbers i commenced sacking 'the premises. The owners tried to protect their stores, and in the encounters many pistol shots were exchanged. The owner of the theatre was a man named O'Brien, and between him and a storekeeper named Lewis, whose premises were destroyed an altercation took place. Lewis blaming O'Brien for allowing the monkey to be in the theatre. O'Brien becoming enraged shot Lewis twice with a revolver, wounding him mortally. The damage to property is said to be about 75,000d015, only about 2000dols of it being covered by insurance.