A Town Destroyed by a Monkey.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2840, 6 March 1888, Page 3

A Town Destroyed by a Monkey.

A circumstance probably without a parallel, ovon in the history of the United States, is just reported in advices received from Ashland, Wisconsin Territory, viz., the destruction of the town oi ..Wakefield by fire through the mischievousness of a monkey, ITIIO animal was kept in the VaudeyjHTheatre, and had the lreedom of "fireplace. During the evening of the 25th December, the animal got to some kerosene, covering itself with the oil. It then set lira to itself with a lamp that was burning in the room, and then apflfered at the window of the Theatre," its antics whilst there amusing the people, Presently the building was in flames, and the monkey running about in its frenzy, set lire 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 tho lire, commenced looting the stores, and in some instances tho flames had scarcely reached Hie respective places before the robbers commenced sacking tho premises. The owners tried to protect their scores, vnd in the encounters many pistol shots were exchanged. The owner of the theatre was a man named O'Brien, and between hi in 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,a U'Brien becoming enraged, shot Jews twice with a revolver, wounding hiiMiortally. The damage to property ltjftid to bo about 75,000 dols., only about 2,000d015, of it being covered bv insurance.