A Mischievous Monkey.

Evening Star, Issue 7473, 17 March 1888, Page 2

A Mischievous Monkey.

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 themischievousness of a monkey. The animal was kept in the Vaudeville Theatre, and had the freedom of the place. During the evening of December 25 the animai 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 amusing the people. Presently the building was in names, and the monkey, running about in its frenzy, set fire to other places. The buildings in the town were ot 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 Btores, and in some instances the flames had scarcely reached the respective places before the robbers 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 bim mortally. The damage to property is said to be about 75,000d01, only about 2,000d0l of it being covered by insurance.