Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1891 — ARRESTED FOR ARSON. [ARTICLE]

ARRESTED FOR ARSON.

REVELATIONS IN A BASE INCENDIARY PLOT. According to the Confessions, County Auditor Lavelle, of Washington, Hires Men to. Burn the Coart House—The Criminals in Jail. Destroyed the Records. The Court House at Washington, Ind., was recent y set on fire. The Recorder’s and Sheriff’s offices were totally destroyed and a portion of the Auditor's office was ruined. An investigation proved that the interior of the Auditor’s office, including all the important records, had been saturated with kerosene oil, and they were only saved by the prompt action of the fire department. The books had been taken from their shelves, placed in piles, and saturated, with the oil. The city soon filled with furious people from all parts of the county, and the wildest excitement prevailed until it, became certain that the perpetrators of the deed were safely inclosed by tho stone walls of the Daviess County jail. The conspirators who are in the toils for the crime, say 3 a dispatch from that place, are County Auditor James C. Lavelle, Aaron B. Hawes, a prominent Steele Township farmer, and Basil Ledgerwood and Samuel Harbin, two daylaborers of this city. A warrant is out for Michael Lavelle, the Auditor’s brother, but he cannot be found by the officers, and it is believed that he has fled the country. County Auditor Lavelle has been Auditor for eight years, and for the eight years immediately preceding he was Deputy Auditor for his brother. His term expires Nov. 1 and a few wqefcs ago the commissioners ordered an inwstigation of his books and accounts, appointing ex-National Bank Examiner i-amuel H. Taylor and Edward F. Meredith, a prominent attorney, to do the work. To this Lavelle made strenuous objection, and used every means in his power to defeat or postpone the proposed investigation. This opposition was continued, 1 and the time was set to begin the work, when but a few days before it was to have begun an alarm of fire was sounded and the Court-House was found to be In flames.

Suspicion potnted to Auditor Lavelle as concerned in the incendiarism, and the officers began work at once under the direction of County Attorney John C. Billheimer and Sheriff Charles Colbert Five new jugs that had contained kerosene were found in an outhouse, where they had been thrown by tne incendiaries. With this valuable clue the man who bought the jugs was easily found, and was arrested and lodged in jail. His name is Samuel Harbin. At first he denied all knowledge of the fire, but under a vigorous pumping ho weakened and agreed to tell the whole story of the plot. He stated that he was hired to do the work of destroying the court house records by Auditor Lavelle and Aaron B. Hawes. He aud Basil Ledger wood were to be paid SSOO each for the work. Lavelle gave Harbin money to get coal oil and Ledgerwood money to buy a revolver. Lavelle took Harbin and Ledgerwood to the court house and told them where to set, the fires and gave them keys to the courthouse and offices. That night they carried In the coal oil, flooded the offices, applied the torches and fled. The arrangement was to a certain extent abortive, as the Auditor’s records, which make the investigation possible, were saved, although all the valuable records in the Recorder’s office, fixing the title to all the landed property in Daviess County, were destroyed. The loss to the county by this is incalculable. As soon as Harbin had completed his tostimony, warrants were issued for the others concerned. Ledgerwood, when ai rested, knocked under at once, telling the same story Harbin told. Every statement corroborates the evidence secured. Auditor Lavelle was immediately} arrested. A B. Hawes soon joined him, but Michael Lavelle could, not be feund, and has not been arrested. Ledgqrwood and Harbin were arraigned in court, and pleaded guilty to the charge of arson. Naturally the excitement is terrib’e in it:» intensity. No one can say that ha has a good title to his real property, aud indignation is at a white heat. Auditor Lavelle’s bondsmen, becoming frightened at the turn affairs were taking, required him to turn over all his property t j them, and this was done, Hawes lives on a farm of 500 acres, owned by his wife, and is in good circumstances financially. He is a desperate character, however, and he wa9 brought in at the muzzle of a Winchester. *