The burning of the corner E. E. McGuire Store in December of 1911 was the event that finally blew the case wide open. Though the Fosters were imprisoned, they resumed criminal activities after being released from prison. The C. L. Bowers Implement Store burned down on December 11, 1909. Was it targeted by the Foster Gang as well? The massive Aug. 29, 1909 fire was in danger of burning down the entire village before firefighters halted the blaze with the help of a citizens’ bucket brigade. A major fire destroyed half the buildings on the square in downtown Centerburg on Aug. 29, 1909. Blamed on a flicked cigarette at the time, it may actually have been the work of the Foster Gang, a group of burglars working in the area, who covered up their thefts with arson. Centerburg Christian Church fire.jpg