Fire discovered in the Shaw Furniture store, just off the northwest corner of the public square at 12:40 am Sunday morning destroyed half of the $12,000 stock and damaged the rest of it to the extent of almost a total loss. The fire was discovered by Clarence Thompson as smoke was pouring from the windows on the second floor. The fire dept. with a few minutes had arrived and had two streams of water pouring into the second story windows. The blaze apparently started near the ceiling and burned upward through the roof in three places. All of the furniture displayed on the second floor was charred from the fire. It included bedroom suites, cedar chests, tables and other heavy pieces of wood furniture which almost completely filled the show room which occupied the entire second floor. The fire dept. kept the flames confined within the one building without calling for assistance. Although the fire did not reach the second floor of the furniture store all of the furniture in the main show room was water soaked and damaged by smoke. On that floor were displayed the stock of living room suites and overstuffed furniture, floor lamps, desks, chairs, silk pillows and many upholstered pieces which were ruined by the water that poured from the floor above. Raymond Shaw, proprietor of the store, was out of town at the time of the fire having gone to Chicago Saturday evening to visit over Sunday. He was advised Sunday of the fire by telegraph by his brother-in-law Dr. Miles Baker and returned to Marion Monday morning. He said he was unable to estimate the loss, which he said was covered mostly by insurance. The store will remain closed pending adjustment of the loss by insurance adjusters. The fire is believed to have originated from defective wiring. It appears to have started where electric wiring of the light circuit was run across the ceiling.

(Extracted from local newspapers and compiled by Harry Boyd, posted at  http://www.marionfire.us/ )