News

FIRE AND AN ACCIDENT

Tuesday evening at 6:30 o'clock an alarm of fire was rung in frombox 45 and the department responding found the upper part of the carpenter shop on East street, owned by James Dowling and occupied by Philip Dowling to be on fire.  The succeeded in keeping the fire under control notwithstanding the inflammable character of the contents of the shop so that the loss to the building will probably not exceed $300.  There were however a large number of tools and patterns and some finished work on which there was no insurance, and these will be a total loss, as the tools were ruined by the intense heat to which they were necessarily subjected.  In responding to the alarm the No. 1's had an accident, or, rather, a series of accidents.  The driver Mr. Titus was at supper when the alarm struck and in making the hitch, the reins were hitched straight, so that the driver, had no control over the horses in turning.  As a result, Benjamin Whittam, who was driving, was thrown from his seat upon leaving the house and Charles Matley, who, with Orin Brown, was on the rear of the reel, dropped off, leaving Brown alone.  When near Pelham street William P. Dawley, a member of the Company attempted to stop the horses and was carried to Brewer street where he fell off dislocating his shoulder.  The horses continued down Spring street, finally slackening their speed so that Brown was able to crawl over the reel to their heads and stop them.  He then took them to the fire.  Mr. Dawley was taken to a physician's office where his injuries were attended to, but it is probable that both he and Whittam, who sprained his leg will be laid up for some time.  Newport Mercury February 8, 1896

MICHAEL REYNOLDS FIND

Last Saturday morning a Newport woman lost a roll of bills to the value of  $800.00 on or near the head of Bath Road.  The police were notified and the denominations of the bills goven to the banks, liquor dealers and store keepers.  The police went to work on  the case and soon learned that one Michael Reynolds had been spending money very freely on Saturday.  When it was further ascertained that the said Reynolds had been out of work for some time and had been sleeping in a stable for some time for lack  of means to procure better accommodations, suspicion fell on him.  When it was still further learned that Reynolds had moved his headquarters from the stable to the United States Hotel, Officer McCormick decided to arrest him on suspicion.  This was done and at the police station he was subjected to a rigid cross examination as to the source of his suddenly acquired wealth.  At first he told a rambling story of its being sent to him, but later confessed to finding it and hiding what he had not spent in a tool house on the extate of the late Miss Callender on Narragansett Avenue.  Upon proceeding to this place no money was to be found and James McKeown, the coachman on the place, was aroused to see what he knew about it.  At first he denied all knowledge of the money, but upon beint threatened with arrest he produced a roll of bills amounting to $500.  Tracing the rest of the money from place to place the police succeeded finally in obtaining all but about $100 of the $800.  Reynolds was arraigned before Judge Baker Monday morning and pleading not guilty, was bound over to yesterday, when he was found guilty of petty larceny and sentenced to ninety days in the Providence County Jail.  McKeown was discharged.  Newport Mercury February 8, 1896

OFFICER DEWICK KILLED BY LIGHTENING

During the thunder storm last Sunday afternoon Police Officer William Dewick was struck and instantly killed by lightning.  It lacked but a few minutes of being five o'clock and the officer was at his home on Van Zandt avenue, dressing preparatory to reporting the the police station for his night's duty.  The family were startled by what sounded like tow pistol shots immediately followed by a heavy fall.  Hastening upstairs they found Mr. Dewick prostrate on the floor.  Mr. Arend Brandt, who lives next door arrived almost immediately and informed them that he had seen the lightning strike the roof of the house.  The medical examiner was summoned and an examination showed a slight abrasion over the officers right temple, his moustache and eye brows were singed, and there was a burned streak starting over the heart winding around to the side and down the left leg to his foot which was badly burned and the shoe torn in pieces.  His watch chain was blackened, but the watch still going.  There appeared to have been two bolts and these have disturbed but half a dozen shingles near the ridge board and so close to the end that had they gone two feet further south the house would have been missed.  The holes in the plastering look like bullet holes and in the matting on the floor there are two larger holes with two small ones in the ceiling below from whence the moulding appears to have acted as a conveyance.  Then there is a hole toward the outside with an evidence of damage.  The sad news spread rapidly and the house was soon filled, despite the pouring rain and thunder and lightening, with friends and acquaintances anxious to do whatever they could and to offer sympathy to the bereaved family.  The deceased was a son of the late Oliver Dewick and a brother of Special Officer Oliver Dewick.  He was a native of Newport and before joining the police force in October 1887 was for many years employed by the late Julius Sayer.  He leaves a widow and six children two boys and four girls.   He was a member of the Police Relief Association.  Mr. Dewick was well known in this city and his friends are legion.  He was of a particularly kindly disposition always ready to render assistance whenever it was possible to do so and was one of the most efficient members of the police force.  His brother officers have passed resolutions of respect to his memory.  The funeral was held from his late residence Wednesday afternoon, Rev. E. L. Buckey of Zabriskie Memorial church officiating.  The members of the police department attended in a body, Mayor Boyle, Chief Read and Detective Richards accompanying them.  The bearers were Officers Crane, Conroy, Caswell, Barker, McCormick and Fiskhardt.  Newport Mercury June 6, 1896

FORT SOLDIER ESCAPES DEATH BECAUSE A KNIFE STRUCK A RIB

On Thames street in front of Powell's drug store shortly after midnight Friday morning a dispute over a bottle of whiskey almost resorted in murder.  A soldier of the 2^nd Company at Fort Adams is in the Newport Hospital with a wound in the abdomen, and in the county jail are a sailor and a soldier, one man charged with assault with a bottle and the other with assault with a knife.  Officer Gregory captured all three, who were drunk.  At first Captain Leary was going to let the assaulted man go, but decided to hold him, and it was not until he was searched that he was found to be cut.  Dr. Keenan was called and quickly ordered the man to the hospital where the wound was found to be so dangerous as to require draining.  The surgeons informed the police that had not the knife struck a rib a death would have resulted.  It is said that both men have admitted their part in the assault, and they are held for trial.  Newport Journal & Weekly News Friday February 16, 1917

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