Damage estimated at $2300 was caused to a restaurant and garage building at the Roscoe Wring service station at the junction of West Main Street and Court Street at 11 p.m. Sunday. The fire originated either in the battery charger room of the garage building or in the rear of the restaurant in the same building. It burned rapidly in the tin-sheeted frame building, and although the building was left standing when the fire was extinguished the contents were almost completely destroyed.

The loss in the garage building included two used automobiles belonging to Wring, as well as tools and equipment. The restaurant next door was operated by Mrs. Fern Lauder. The building was owned by the Home Oil Company. F.E. Morrison of the Home Oil Company said Monday that the frame building will not be replaced, although a smaller brick structure may be erected on the site later. Only the Home Oil Company was covered by insurance, Fire Chief Orlie Ing learned Monday.

A large crowd gathered while firemen were fighting the fire and police said firemen had difficulty with motorists who ran over the hose. Several eluded arrest but Kenneth Cavitt who allegedly disregarded Chief of Police Ben Culbreth’s signal to stop before running over the hose was overtaken and spent the night in jail. He was fined $9.40 by Police Magistrate L.B. Long upon his plea of guilty Monday morning.

Night policeman Herman May was summoned from the fire by a report from spectators they had seen a dead man lying in the street on West Union street. The officer found the man was only “dead drunk,” and placed him in city jail.

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