#suspicious fire

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"Developments In Case Near," Edmonton Journal. December 2, 1933. Page 1. --- Inquest in Buck Creek Case Set for December 8 ---- TWO MEN HELD ---- With the inquest on the body of Carl Anderson, which was found in his fire-destroyed store at Buck Creek, Alta., on November 16, scheduled for Friday, December 8, at Breton, Alta., intimation that startling developments will occur at that time were made Saturday.

While arrangements for the inquest are being made, Frank Conradson, age about 55, and his son, Edward, age about 25, are held on other charges and for investigation into the case. The father at present is charged under the game act, and the son under the railway act, and both have been remanded to December 8 under those charges.

Coroner Dr. E. A. Braithwaite will take the inquest, and James J. Frawley, counsel in the attorney-general's department, will conduct the examinations of witnesses.

The body of Anderson was reduced to a skeleton in the blaze. and police have been investigating the case carefully. R.C.M.P.. officials have been reticent in making any announcements about the case other than to say that murder is suspected.

Two years ago Anderson was successful in an action brought against him for alienation of affections and this angle has been under close scrutiny.

R. F. Jackson, Edmonton barrister, has been retained by the father and son to look after their interests

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"Tenant Of Razed Home Used False Name," North Bay Nugget. April 25, 1933. Page 3. --- Open Inquiry Into New Liskeard Fire ---- Blaze Was Within Month of Buying Insurance ---- CONTINUES TODAY ---- Woman Thought Wife Has Husband at Cochrane ---- (Special to The Nugget) New Liskeard, April 25 - Evidence that a man known as M. A. Doyon is actually Achille Levesque and that Mary Doyon, who was believed to be his wife is the wife of a man living near Cochrane and the mother of four children there was offered when Deputy Fire Marshal Edward Jordan, of Toronto, opened an investigation into a fire which razed two Lake Shore homes here on Good Friday last. Levesque himself, tenant of one of the two destroyed cottages, was on the stand the greater part of yesterday. Further disclosures were expected when the hearing resumed today.

The two dwellings which were burned were owned by Henry Bertrand and John Meyers and evidence was offered that the one in which Levesque was living was the fourth he had occupied in eighteen months. Fire broke out in this cottage within a month of Levesque placing insurance on the contents, according to the evidence, which also showed that this was the first home in which Levesque had carried insurance. With total coverage of $1,500 Levenque claimed $350 loss. Mrs. Doyon, in whose name the policy was carried, was not home the night of the fire.

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“H. TOSH FACES ARSON CHARGE,” Hamilton Spectator. March 14, 1931. Page 18. --- Burlington Man Accused Over Appleby Fire --- High School Students Held At-Home Yesterday ---- From Our Own Correspondent Burlington, March 16 Henry Tosh, aged 36 and married, was arrested by Chief Constable Smith yesterday on a charge of arson. He appeared in police court this morning to answer to the charge and was remanded for a week. Crown- Attorney W. Dick appeared for the crown.

The charge arose out of fire occurred on the property of G. W. Breckon, of Appleby on February 20 last, when the house, occupied by Tosh who had been employed by Mr. Brekon for the past two years, was burned to the ground. At the time the fire occurred, a meeting of the Young People’s league, of the Church at Appleby, was being held, and by the time assistance could be obtained it was too late to save either the house or its contents. According to the story by Chief Smith, the residents nearby took up a collection and the sum of $126 was handed over to Tosh. In addition, he was also given furniture and clothing to replace that destroyed in the fire. A claim for $600 was also made to the insurance company on a  policy covering the contents of the building, which was paid. The building itself was not insured.

Following the fire, Chief Smith became auspicious of the circumstances surrounding its origins. He notified the marshal's department and Edward Jordan, member of the fire marshal's staff, was sent to Burlington. The two officers carried on an investigation which resulted in Tosh's arrest yesterday.   High School At-Home Members of the staff and the students of the Burlington high school were at home last evening to recent graduates and the members of the high school board. The evening was spent in dancing and a most enjoyable time was the result. The auditorium was beautiully decorated and the vari-colored dresses of the ladies added greatly to the appearance of the large hall. Numerous novelty dances were held which also helped to make the affair a huge success. Graduates of the school who are attending university were home for the occasion Phil Gage's orchestra supplied the music for the dancers. 

Another feature was when the boys of the lower school were employed as waiters during the time for refreshments. The boys presented a very natty appearance, being attired in white shirts and trousers and a green sash.

Mission Starts A mission which will last for one week opens to-morrow in St. Luke's church under the auspices of the Church Army. The mission to-morrow morning when of of the Church Army will preach The missioners will preach at the evening. These services will be services for women and for men arranged. 

The regular services will be held in the other churches of the town to-morrow. In Trinity church, the preacher both morning and evening, will be H. P. Gundy, B.A.,  gold medalist and honor graduate of Toronto university and Victoria college, who will speak on Temperance in Ontario. The ministers of the other churches will occupy their own pulpits.

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“DENIES STORY MASON PAID OFFICE VISIT,” Owen Sound Sun Times. June 9, 1932. Page 1. --- Sudbury Transit Company Employee Reverses Previous Evidence --- ARSON TRIAL --- Was Previous Night He Saw Mason at Office --- (Canadian Press Despatch) SUDBURY, June 9— W. E. Mason, Northern Ontario publisher, did not visit the office of the Sudbury Transit Company before the fire which destroyed the building, Robert Dickson, employee of the company, declared today in reversal of his evidence given at the fire Marshal’s enquiry last February. 

Dickson had testified previously that Mason visited the office on the night of the fire before the blaze started Mason is now facing a charge of arson arising out of the destruction of the building.

"I said at the fire Inquiry that I saw Mr. Mason at the office that night,” testified Dickson today. "I thought it was that night. He declared he had "had time to think It over" and had concluded his previous evidence was incorrect. 

Employees of the bus company were "playing the fiddle and dancing in the office on the night of the fire he said and I am positive if Mr. Mason had been in the office they would not.” 

Charles Bilinski, day despatcher for Transit Company, said he had gone to the garage late on the night of the fire to get some gasoline. “All lights were out. I blew the horn and Soltynski opened the door. I drove part way in. I saw the gasoline hose lying on the floor and a streak of gasoline led from the hose to the drains." 

Soltynski recently pleaded guilty to an anon charge and was sentenced to four years in penitentiary. He had sworn Mason induced him to fire the garage. Sergeant F. Davidson of the local police told of arresting Soltynski and later releasing him.

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“SOLTYNSKI WILL TAKE STAND IN TRIAL OF MASON,” Owen Sound Sun Times. June 9, 1932. Page 6. ---- Evidence Shows Transit Company and Sudbury Publisher Financially Sound ---- (Canadian Press Despatch.) SUDBURY, June 9— Evidence that the Sudbury Transit Company was not in financial difficulties at the time of the fire in its garage, on September 6, 1931, destroyed several of its buses with a loss of $16,000, though the revenue was not as large as in previous years was given by crown witnesses yesterday at the opening of the trial of W. E. Mason, Northern Ontario publisher charged with arson. 

Court adjourned last night to resume early today after hearing six of the 26 crown witnesses subpoenaed. Witnesses called yesterday gave evidence as to the financial condition of the transit company and of Mr. Mason personally. First witness to be called today will be John Soltynski, former bus washer, now serving a four-year-term for arson in connection with the same fire. Soltynski pleaded guilty on January 30 and alleged the crime had been inspired by Mr. Mason. 

A. R. Henman, public auditor, testified that Mr. Mason's personal assets exceed his personal liabilities by more than $200,000.

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‘Would Alter Plea On Arson Charge,” Toronto Star. February 19, 1932. Page 1. ---- John Slotinski Denies Guilt - Is Remanded Week ---- Sudbury, Feb. 19 - John Slotinski, who three weeks ago pleaded guilty to a charge of arson in connection with the fire in the Sudbury Transit Company garage, Sept. 6 last, to-day through his counsel asked Magistrate J. S. McKessock for permission to change his plea to ‘Not Guilty.’

Crown Attorney E. D. Wilkins says this move had taken him by surprise. The magistrate said he was not disposed to grant the request of the prisoner who had already been remanded three times for sentence. Finally, Slotinski was remanded for a week to enable the crown attorney to look up the law in the case.

Further remand of four weeks was granted in the case against W. E. Mason.

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“Arrest Sudbury Publisher; Charge Arson,” Toronto Star. February 13, 1932. Page 1. ---- Wm. E. MASON OF SUDBURY STAR ON $15,000 BAIL ---- Chared With Arson and Held Shortly After Noon To-Day ---- REAL ESTATE MAN ---- Holds Large Theatrical Interests and Publishes North Bay Nugget. ---- Special to The Star Sudbury, Ont., Feb. 13. - On a charge of arson, W. E. Mason, proprietor of the Sudbury Star, North Bay Nugget, and large theatrical and real estate holdings in Sudbury and North Bay, was put under arrest at 12.30 p.m. to-day and put on $15,00 bail.

The bail consisted of a $10,0000 bond by Mason himself, and $5,000 by H. Barlow, building contractor for Sudbury.

Mason on request of Crown Attorney E. D. Wilkins, walked up to the court house from the Sudbury Star office, and waited in the corridor for almost an hour while a conference proceeded between his lawyer, G. M. Miller, K.C., the crown attorney, and Inspector E. D. L. Hammond of the criminal investigation branch of the provincial police.

‘The thing can’t stop now, I want it go on,’ Mason said to the crown attorney whom he met in the hall. ‘But I also demand that Koleff, Billingski and Barton, be also arrested and put on bond.’

Mason’s arrest arose following the fire marshal’s investigation into fire that destroyed the buses of the Sudbury Transit Co., about 1.10 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 6. For some time the transit company had been in bad financial condition, and Maosn, the wealthiest of the directors, had advanced money to the company until he practically owned all its assets. It was following the collection of approximately $15,000 insurance companies that Kero Koleff, manager of the transit company, went to Toronto and made charges he had evidence that John Slotinski, a bus washer, had set fire to the property on instructions from Mason and that the newspaper owner had ordered Koleff to pay Slotinski for doing so.

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“Soltynski Gets Four-Year Term On Arson Charge,” Toronto Star. March 4, 1932. Page 1 & 2. ---- Magistrate Refuses to Allow Plea of Guilty To Be Withdrawn ---- IN SUDBURY COURT ---- Counsel Pleads That Man Be Tried With Man He Says Paid Him ---- Special to The Star Sudbury, March 4. - Refusing to grant the application of defence counsel T. Murray Milligan for permission to change John Soltynski’s plea from guilty to not guilty, Magistrate J. S. McKessock to-day imposed a sentence of four years at Portsmouth on Soltynski, who pleaded guilty to arson. Soltynski pleaded guilty in January and threw himself on the mercy of the court, admitting that he had set fire to the Sudbury Transit garage on September 6, 1931. Later, at the fire marshal’s inquiry into the fire, he claimed that W. E. Mason, northern publisher, had paid him to set the fire.

Magistrate McKessock said that in refusing Mr. Mulligan’s application for changing the plea he considered that there was not the slightest doubt of guilt and that the crown should not be put to the expense of a trial. Delivering the sentence he said:

‘Arson is one of the most serious offences of our code. I understand  Soltynski claims that he set the fire at the request of another and in the hope of reward. Soltynski, you have only been out from the old country for a short time. I will recommend that you be deported when you get out, if I am asked. In view of this I am not going to send you down as long as I might otherwise do.

‘You have committed a crime which has involved the loss of property and might well have included loss of life. You are not the type which we wish to encourage to come to this country.’

The sentence and the magistrate’s addresses were interpreted to the prisoner in Polish by John Wagner.

Soltynski, a former bus washer for the Sudbury Transit Co., was arrested on the night of the fire by Sergt. Fred Davidson but was allowed to go. Later, he confessed his crime and as result of accusations by him and others Mr. Mason also faces an arson charge.

Mr. Mulligan, speaking to his amendment, stated that the accused had pleaded guilty without the advice of counsel.

‘According to his evidence before the fire marshal he is guilty of conspiracy. If his story is true, we now know his motive. If the story is not true, he is a lunatic who has burned himself out of a job. He has put the crown in possession of some very valuable evidence.

‘If he alone is convicted and punish I am sure that the public will feel that here is something wrong with the administration of justice. I have not requested this amendment because Soltynski has any intention of committing perjury and saying that he did not commit the offence, but in order that he might be tried in the same court which will try that other party, so that if there are any extenuating circumstances, they may inure to the benefit of this man, who is after all only a poor foreigner, probably easily influenced by a man who is in apparent authority.’

[AL: Soltynski fought his conviction hard. Doesn’t look like he even ended up at the penitentiary for a long while.]