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Fire guts meeting place of white supremacist group
HAMPTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - A furniture store where a group of white supremacists often met was destroyed by fire Monday, authorities said.
The group, organized by Christian Identity leader James P. Wickstrom, met at the Marquiss Quality Furniture store for about three years.
No injuries were reported in the fire, which gutted the building. Hampton township is near Bay City, about 100 miles northwest of Detroit.
Store owners Mary and LeRoy Marquiss said that they had been threatened since Wickstrom's meetings were publicized in June 2003 and that they think the building was set on fire by someone who opposed
he meetings. A meeting was held at the store as recently as Memorial Day.
"They think they won," Mary Marquiss said, but "the only way they'll stop that is to kill us."
<b
r>Wickstrom moved to Tennessee in June 2003 but returned to the area a
few months ago.
The Christian Identity movement espouses a doctrine that whites are God's chosen people. The group teaches racist, sexist, anti-Semitic and homophobic beliefs. Wickstrom has openly called for violence against J*ws.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=54&u_sid=1128683
Fire guts storefront church Owners of supremacist meeting hall say blaze was
set
Monday, 21, 2004
By Jeff Kart
Times Writer
A Hampton Township furniture store that hosted meetings by a nationally
known white supremacist was gutted by fire early today, but the store's
owners say the blaze w
on't discourage them from spreading "the truth."
Fire officials say they're treating the fire at Marquiss Quality Furniture,
644 W. Center Road, as a criminal investigation,
but haven't determined a
cause.
Officials believe the fire is suspicious, based on the building's history as
the home base for James P. Wickstro
m, a Christian Identity teacher who has
held meetings there for about three years.
From Our Advertiser
Store owners Mary and LeRoy Marquiss said their business, home and lives
have been threatened since news of Wickstrom's meetings broke in June 2003.
They both believe the building was set on fire by someone who wants the
meetings to stop.
"They think they won," Mary Marquiss said, but she vowed to rebuild or look
for another place to continue running the store, which includes a water
treatment business.
The meetings have been suspended, but only temporarily, she
said.
"The only way they'll stop that is to kill us," she said.
Agents from the FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
were called to the scene this m
orning, along with an accelerant-sniffing
dog.
State Fire Marshal Leonard Jaskulka said federal investigators were called
because they're familiar with Wickstrom and his connection to the store.
Wickstrom calls himself a pas
tor and uses the Bible to teach that whites are
God's true chosen people. He openly calls for the murders of Jewish people.
The Marquisses invited Wickstrom to live in the area a few years ago.
Wickstrom relocated to Tennessee in late June 2003, shortly after news about
his meetings was published in The Times. He returned to living in the area
around October 2003, and held a "Feast of First Fruits" meeting on Memorial
Day weekend that attracted people from several states.
LeRoy Marquiss said he opened the building as
a water treatment store in
1951, and added furniture later on. He said he's been slowly getting out of
the furniture business, selling his remaining pieces because he can't find
enough American-made furniture to sell.
Fire Marshal Jaskulka said a passing driver called in the fire just before 2
a.m.
Firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the front of the store, said
Lt. Michael Wedding of the Hampton Township Police Department. They knocked
out the
main fire in about 20 minutes, and spent three more hours putting
out hot spots, Wedding said.
The fire burned out the front of the store, which housed furniture and was
used for Wickstrom's meetings.
The Marquisses said three offices in the back of the building appeared to
have been spared. LeRoy Marquiss said it looks like the fire started inside
an east window, away from electrical outlets.
Jaskulka said the building was a total loss, and there was "nothing
sa
lvageable."
No one was in the building at the time and no injuries were reported.
The Marquisses found out about the fire when police knocked on the door of
their home at
3:30 a.m.
They called Wickstrom, who is out of town at another meeting. LeRoy Marquiss
said Wickstrom told them he was sorry for what had happened and would be
back in town as soon as he could.
The building is insured, the owners said, but there were many things inside
that can't be replaced.
The owners said they think the fire is
a sign of the evil Wickstrom preaches
against.
"We're in a war," LeRoy Marquiss said. "A war between the lies and the
truth, and the American people got to know the truth."
Center Road was closed off in front of the store this morning. The state
fire marshal said it would remain closed until at least noon.
Nora Wiedyk, a cook at J&R Center Road Bar, which is next door, called the
fire "a
wful" and said she hopes the cause was electrical.
"No matter what, they are nice people," she said of the store's owners.
"They don't deserve that.&q
uot;
Wiedyk said she doesn't agree with the message preached at the store, but a
fire is not a way to solve a problem. The blaze could have burned her
business or injured firefighters, she said.
Wedding said the store has never caused any problems for the Hampton Police
Department, located nearby.
"It's always been peaceful gatherings," Wedding said. "We've never had any
calls or problems here."
- Jeff Kart covers the envi
ronment and politics for The Times. He can be
reached at 894-9639.
HAMPTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - A furniture store where a group of white supremacists often met was destroyed by fire Monday, authorities said.
The group, organized by Christian Identity leader James P. Wickstrom, met at the Marquiss Quality Furniture store for about three years.
No injuries were reported in the fire, which gutted the building. Hampton township is near Bay City, about 100 miles northwest of Detroit.
Store owners Mary and LeRoy Marquiss said that they had been threatened since Wickstrom's meetings were publicized in June 2003 and that they think the building was set on fire by someone who opposed
he meetings. A meeting was held at the store as recently as Memorial Day.
"They think they won," Mary Marquiss said, but "the only way they'll stop that is to kill us."
<b
r>Wickstrom moved to Tennessee in June 2003 but returned to the area a
few months ago.
The Christian Identity movement espouses a doctrine that whites are God's chosen people. The group teaches racist, sexist, anti-Semitic and homophobic beliefs. Wickstrom has openly called for violence against J*ws.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=54&u_sid=1128683
Fire guts storefront church Owners of supremacist meeting hall say blaze was
set
Monday, 21, 2004
By Jeff Kart
Times Writer
A Hampton Township furniture store that hosted meetings by a nationally
known white supremacist was gutted by fire early today, but the store's
owners say the blaze w
on't discourage them from spreading "the truth."
Fire officials say they're treating the fire at Marquiss Quality Furniture,
644 W. Center Road, as a criminal investigation,
but haven't determined a
cause.
Officials believe the fire is suspicious, based on the building's history as
the home base for James P. Wickstro
m, a Christian Identity teacher who has
held meetings there for about three years.
From Our Advertiser
Store owners Mary and LeRoy Marquiss said their business, home and lives
have been threatened since news of Wickstrom's meetings broke in June 2003.
They both believe the building was set on fire by someone who wants the
meetings to stop.
"They think they won," Mary Marquiss said, but she vowed to rebuild or look
for another place to continue running the store, which includes a water
treatment business.
The meetings have been suspended, but only temporarily, she
said.
"The only way they'll stop that is to kill us," she said.
Agents from the FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
were called to the scene this m
orning, along with an accelerant-sniffing
dog.
State Fire Marshal Leonard Jaskulka said federal investigators were called
because they're familiar with Wickstrom and his connection to the store.
Wickstrom calls himself a pas
tor and uses the Bible to teach that whites are
God's true chosen people. He openly calls for the murders of Jewish people.
The Marquisses invited Wickstrom to live in the area a few years ago.
Wickstrom relocated to Tennessee in late June 2003, shortly after news about
his meetings was published in The Times. He returned to living in the area
around October 2003, and held a "Feast of First Fruits" meeting on Memorial
Day weekend that attracted people from several states.
LeRoy Marquiss said he opened the building as
a water treatment store in
1951, and added furniture later on. He said he's been slowly getting out of
the furniture business, selling his remaining pieces because he can't find
enough American-made furniture to sell.
Fire Marshal Jaskulka said a passing driver called in the fire just before 2
a.m.
Firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the front of the store, said
Lt. Michael Wedding of the Hampton Township Police Department. They knocked
out the
main fire in about 20 minutes, and spent three more hours putting
out hot spots, Wedding said.
The fire burned out the front of the store, which housed furniture and was
used for Wickstrom's meetings.
The Marquisses said three offices in the back of the building appeared to
have been spared. LeRoy Marquiss said it looks like the fire started inside
an east window, away from electrical outlets.
Jaskulka said the building was a total loss, and there was "nothing
sa
lvageable."
No one was in the building at the time and no injuries were reported.
The Marquisses found out about the fire when police knocked on the door of
their home at
3:30 a.m.
They called Wickstrom, who is out of town at another meeting. LeRoy Marquiss
said Wickstrom told them he was sorry for what had happened and would be
back in town as soon as he could.
The building is insured, the owners said, but there were many things inside
that can't be replaced.
The owners said they think the fire is
a sign of the evil Wickstrom preaches
against.
"We're in a war," LeRoy Marquiss said. "A war between the lies and the
truth, and the American people got to know the truth."
Center Road was closed off in front of the store this morning. The state
fire marshal said it would remain closed until at least noon.
Nora Wiedyk, a cook at J&R Center Road Bar, which is next door, called the
fire "a
wful" and said she hopes the cause was electrical.
"No matter what, they are nice people," she said of the store's owners.
"They don't deserve that.&q
uot;
Wiedyk said she doesn't agree with the message preached at the store, but a
fire is not a way to solve a problem. The blaze could have burned her
business or injured firefighters, she said.
Wedding said the store has never caused any problems for the Hampton Police
Department, located nearby.
"It's always been peaceful gatherings," Wedding said. "We've never had any
calls or problems here."
- Jeff Kart covers the envi
ronment and politics for The Times. He can be
reached at 894-9639.
