By Staff Writer
INVERNESS — The Royal Constabulary confirmed yesterday that “substantial progress” has been made in the ongoing investigation into last month’s devastating blaze along Iron Row, which destroyed three adjoining workshops and left much of the artisan quarter shrouded in soot and speculation.
Investigators now believe the fire was deliberately set, and that the culprit—or culprits—may have ties to the banned Socialist Party of Eyehasseen. Officials have also confirmed that certain “literary materials and printed manifestos of a radical persuasion” were recovered near the scene, including pamphlets bearing slogans long associated with the outlawed movement.
While the Constabulary has declined to release the full nature of the evidence, Inspector Thomas Wexley, head of the Arson & Subversion Division, hinted at a developing picture.
“We have reason to believe that the incident was not spontaneous combustion,” he said. “Accelerants were used, the planning was deliberate, and there are indications that the act was intended to coincide with other disturbances of a political nature.”
Sources within Government Row suggest that investigators are examining possible connections between the fire and certain individuals formerly employed by the Inverness Public Library, already under scrutiny for alleged associations with Socialist sympathizers. Officials emphasized that no arrests have yet been made, but that “links of interest” are emerging.
“We have recovered fragments of correspondence, ash-marked papers, and certain distinctive ink formulations consistent with printing equipment known to be used by agitator circles,” said one officer, speaking on background. “There is also evidence of coordinated movement on the night of the fire — footprints, cart tracks, and other clues that we are not yet prepared to discuss.”
Citizens who live or work near Iron Row have reported seeing figures moving by lamplight shortly before the outbreak, one described as wearing a heavy coat and flat cap despite the warm evening, another pushing a handcart covered by a tarpaulin. The Constabulary urges anyone who witnessed suspicious activity between the tenth and eleventh hours of that night to come forward.
The fire consumed nearly the entire frontage of Iron Row, once famed for its metal-workers and small foundries. Damage estimates exceed 400,000 aureals, though restoration has already begun under emergency grants from the Ministry of Labour and Trade.
Inspector Wexley declined to speculate on motive, but a senior source described the act as “part political theatre, part personal vengeance.” Another suggested the possibility of a revenge attack against a foundry owner who had refused Socialist patronage contributions, though this remains unconfirmed.
A notice posted outside the charred remains of the Old Smithy urges calm:
“We will rebuild,” it reads, “but we will also remember who struck the match.”
Meanwhile, public unease is rising as whispers spread through the taverns of Inverness that the Socialist Party—long thought dormant since its proscription twenty years ago—may once again be stirring beneath the surface.
The Constabulary, for its part, has pledged vigilance.
“We will follow every lead,” said Inspector Wexley. “The people of Eyehasseen will not live in fear of shadows with torches.”
Residents with information are encouraged to report anonymously to the Office of Public Order or to leave written tips at the Post Box of Confidential Affairs, located beside the Constabulary gatehouse.