Fire damaged the service shop and furnace room at Wohlwend Motors, 102 N. Court Street at 3:25 am Monday. L.J. Wohlwend, owner estimated the damage at $20,000. He said the fire apparently originated in a faulty bin-fed stoker. The blaze spread through a wooden coal bin partition to the wooden roof of the concrete block building. Merchant policeman Tom Lewis spotted the blaze and radioed police headquarters. Police telephoned the fire department. Both firemen and police fought the fire. Both city trucks were taken to the scene but only one was put into use. A fire truck from Herrin stood by at the local fire station while firemen battled the blaze. Wohlwend credited the firemen and police with saving the major portion of the motor sales building. He said the fire was confined to the rear of the structure. Flames destroyed the roof of the furnace room. Wohlwend said that three cars in the service shop were slightly damaged. Windows in the service shop were broken by the heat. Firemen reported smoke damage to the front sales room.

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