Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 229, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1911 — Page 3

/> *-y HE remarkable death; itt P* Jersey City of a “fireL bug” who was killed nJA through his own clumsi(M KT ness while setting fire to CmU fjjSfi. a building which he had Est? been hired to burn down has not often b 9 en Bur_ passed as an example of Ji| prompt retributive justice. “Hoist with his \ ' , ? own petard" is such a

worn old phrase that one hesitates to 086 It now, but Frank Walsh, burglar and Incendiary, must have felt just that way when the can of gasoline which he brought with him to ignite the office of the Long Dock Milling company suddenly exploded and Wrapped him in deadly flames. His agonized yells brought help sufficient to save the building but not to save his life. He had been hired for $lO to do the job in order to cover up fraudulent entries in the cashier’s hooks, but he dropped his cigarette in the gaspline can and thus “dumped the fat in the Are” with a vengeance. But however dramatic the fate of clumsy Walsh and the consequent exposure of his accomplices may be by themselves, they have a deeper significance when viewed in the light of the recent discovery that there exists a country-wide arson trust, with headquarters- in Chicago 'and representatives in nearly all the large cities, the members of which make> business of setting fire, to buildings skillfully, in order to enable the owners to collect large sums of insurance. Murder as a fine art. the scientific management of arson, together with the proper strategy and conduct of private’ warfare, are subjects perhaps' oettdr hfiaerstood in Chicago than anywhere else in the world. Lest any of her great sister cities should feel envious of Chicago, lqt it be admitted that Berlin and Vienisa also have their fire gangs, Paris exhibits a pretty taste in Apaches, New York fosters Paul Kelly associations, Madrid has ita garroters and Canton its highbinders. -Yet the following tale shows thgt the Chicago savans have replied business principles to crime in a manner far excelling the coarse efforts of their rivals: On the fourth floor of No. 233 South Market street, in the Windy City, was situated the goodly clothing establishment of L. Dreyfus k Co., wholesalers. It was operated by the brothers Leopold and Laxard Dreyfus, who had apparently an extensive city trade. The brothers were extremely liberal buyers of clothing stocks, and the store was visited by swarms of customers. "had it that more goods were carted in than could ever be disposed of, and that many of the customers, so called, carried away fictitious bills of sale. In the spring of this year a set of private investigators began to pry into the affairs of Dreyfus k Co. Inquiry at Dun’s and Bradstreet’s brought out the fact that the firm owed its creditors $35,000. An expert who visited the store in the guise of a retailer „ judged that goods valued at $20,000 lay on its shelves and counters. The ■ Insurance carried totaled $28,000, divided among eleven companies, including the United States Fire, of New Yprk. As the result of further snoop- . lng around among the clothing trade it was also discovered that Dreyfus 4k Co. were slow pay, and the menu-

Good Jokes

Non* Left. I *1 should think, with all your monay, yon would Inn a nice yacht” «I would only 1 can’t think of any name tor a craft that haa not already been need."

Arson Octopus Stretches Tentacles Afar

facturers who sold them goods were pressing for settlement. This confidential information was carried by secret agents to a certain Slav saloonkeeper in the poorer quarters of the town. A glass or two of slivowitz was drunk, there was much conferring and nodding together of heads in the back room of the bar, and finally the saloonkeeper said: I “Send Jacob to see Leopold Dreyfus!” V, Jacob was the praenomen of this go-between, who was believed by his family and friends' to be a solicitor of fire' insurance. And, who could doubt the appearance borne out by the policies and stacks of papers that he carried, his familiarity with rates and his glib line of talk that indicated long experience in the business? It was thus, that he approached the elder Dreyfus, remarking on the large stock of goods and saying, “Let me write you an additional policy of $10,000." Tm carrying every cent the companies will allow me to,” replied the merchant “But Insurance is good. In these times”—the visitor batted his left eye Just a trifle—“you can never tell what will happen —a fire, for Instance, with total loss. In that case the $28,000 you carry now would be too little——” “Look here!” said the merchant suddenly. “I don’t believe you are an insurance man at all. What do you want?” “Very well, Mr. Dreyfus, very well. Let’s get down to business. If your place should burn you would get the $28,000, eh? You owe more than that it is true, but you needn’t go into bankruptcy. When you have collected the $28,000 all you need to do is to make a compromise with your creditors and you can retain the larger part of the money for yourself. Yes, a fire would be quite timely just now, and you know as well as I do that in* surance companies are in the business to losses ” ; » v * “What! You come here and tell me to set my place on fire?” answered the clothing dealer. “Not a bit of it,” said Jacob. “It isn’t done that” way. You can go out of town while the job is being pulled off. Mr. Dreyfus,” and he looked the merchant squarely in the eye, *T will take all the responsibility and do the Job for $5,000.” Jacob saved himself from being put out of the office by a hasty exit. He immediately reported tack of progress to the saloonkeeper. The latter had a mall order department as a branch of his secret business. Among the confidential letters mailed to merchants by the chief of the arson industry went several to the head of the" Dreyfus firm; and^meanwhile the difficulties of that establishment were increasing. Creditors threatened suits and unsatisfied judgments meant bankruptcy. The arson crowd kept tabs on every move, whether of the brothers or of their angry creditors. Finally, at the correct moment, Jacob called Leopold. Dreyfus on the telephone and made an appointment to renew the dicker. He met the merchant in his office and made the following bargain offer: “I’ll burn the whole place—‘every suit of clothing, every article in it—no salvage—for $2,000. You must pay me S3OO down and contract to pay the balance of $1,700 as soon as the in surance money is collected. Those are

Another One Haard From. Train Guard—Madam, thia la the smoking car. *>f r r rs. f i*> Aunt Jemima—Why. so it ht Thankee, young man. (Produces plpe.f

positively our lowest terms. Take ’em or leave ’em.” “How about the risk?" . “There will be no risk. To avert suspicion you must take me in as an employe.-r, You yourself can.be as far away from Chicago as you like!** With that Jacob produced his arson contract, ah extraordinary dooumeht, which assigned to the saloonkeeper $1,700 of the total insurance on the Dreyfus place. Hie merchant fell in with the plan. He signed the agreement to pay the saloonkeeper in the event of a fire, and handed Jacob the S3OO earnest money. The ingenious conspirator was put on the employes’ roll and Intrusted with the dbor key to lock up the store at night and open it In the morning. On the Saturday half-holiday of June 3 Jacobs admitted himself to the store after hours and opened, six fivegallon cans of gasoline which had been sent there concealed ocent-looking shipping cases'used by the firm. Starting at one end of the shop, he poured the oil in a stream that meandered the length of the floor, with the partially emptied cans distributed at strategic points among file piles of stock. At right-angles to the stream he stretched a half-hons time fuse,- lighted with a match tlje end farthest from the oil, and, locking the door behind, quietly went on his ■way. , v ; In all these operations Jacob had applied with his best skill the principles of scientific management adopted by the arson trust. The telltale excelsior shavings and give-away kerosene soaked paper have long since been'discarded by the Chicago savants In favor of the quick, sharp, successive explosions of gasoline, which destroy the exploding cans and the stock of merchandise almost simultaneously. Not only is the evidence burned up, but the firemen and salvage corps have no chance to save any of the stock erf goods, which salvage woul<f reduce the amount of the Insurance paid. ■ But on this occasion something or other went amiss. The fire fl&hters, arriving quickly, scented the odor of gasoline. After the fire was put out and an investigation made, ah unexploded can of gasoline was found back in a corner. Michael F. Sullivan, the fire attorney' of the city, sent for. the brothers Dreyfus. Leopold had spent the day of the fire at Gray's Lake, a report fifty miles distant, but Lazard had worked in the store that same Saturday morning. After more than six hours of sharp examination by the fire attorney and the police Leopold Dreyfus broke down and confessed that he hired Jacob and the saloonkeeper to destroy the store. He to)d the story of it substantially as given above. He implicated many others in a wide network of conspiracy that startled even the detectives by the astounding revelation of a systematic, scientific arson trust. _ Through the further confessions of the elder Dreyfus it was hoped to expose the whole crooked league of dis'honest merchants and paid setters ol fire, a league, it is said, that has caused at least a fifth (morp than 700) of all the Chicago fires in the last decade, that has extended its operations from New York to Portland, Ore., and that has reaped a yearly profit of $750,000 for the saloonkeeper who is its head. * . . f Leopold Dreyfus, however, killed himself next morning'in his Michigan avenue home, whither a police detective had taken him at his own request to see his wife and children before going to the police court. The discovery of his arson and the tangle of his financial affairs bad driven him practically insane.-. The saloonkeeper and Jacob vanished.

High Cost of Living In Japan.

According to an article in Osaka Aschi, prices have gone up in Japan over -twofold in the last twenty years, while the purchasing value of the currency has sensibly declined. Taking the- average rate of prices in January, 1887, at 10Q and Hie value of the currency at the same tlihe at 100, the rate of prices in 1910 wonld be 228 and the value of currency 48, according to a table published by the Bank of Japan. {'Another table published by the same banks shows that the advance ill the prices of Imported goods has been comparatively small, while fibs rise in the price of goods produced for the home market and for export has been greater. Compared with the advance in prices in other countries the Japanese rate of advance has been about 2 per cent greater than that in London and New York. This may be dur to some special influence, such as the enormous expansion in the amount of money in circulation. /

Hie Dignity Intact The two footpads had explored the elderly pedestrian’s pocket* and found nothing but a dollar watch and a few other things of little or no value. “If you will make another search of my right trousers pocket.” be said, “you wIU find a dime, which will pay your fare to a more prosperous part of town. And now, gentlemen. If yw* wtn hand me beck my hunrh of keys, we ehall consider this unfortunate and disappointing episode at en end Thanks. Good night”/' (

SYMPATHY WASTED ON PREMIER PITCHER

If ttie scribes and fans only knew how llitle “Big Six” cared or thought of this "all-in" stuff, they would save their sympathy for Mathewson. On the way to a recent game a bug recognized Matty, and his attitude and expression seemed to convey sympathy fbr the great hurler, who, he thought, was on the backward trail. Theibug pulled a hunch of clippings from his pocket and handed them to

SMITH ON YOUNG CATCHERS

Would Have Law Enacted Permitting Hunting of Them Jn Season, Like Wild Game. ( fToung catchers are great stuff,” says Frank Smith, now with Cincinnati. “The more I Bee of them the more I wish that the laws permitted the hunting of them, in season, same aa partridges or snipe. Over in Bos? ton they assigned a kid catcher to backstop me. Pretty soon there was

Frank Smith.

a runner on first, and this -hoy signalled 196 for three successive pitchouts. I sent three wild ones, the runner never moving, and then Settled myself to get them over, when that kid signalled for a fourth pitchooti I walked over to hint. ‘Kid,’ said I, 'you are signalling for a base on balls.' Lost your nerve or lost your memory?' The boy had lost all track of the number of balls I had thrown to him.”

Pitchers Keep Ball Low.

It is a noticeable fact that the most successful pitchers these days are those who seldom pitch a high ball, and yet there was a time when the high ball had the batters guessing. Today, however, the pitcher with the high ones does ndt last long. The batsmen have mastered this delivery and the pitchers have been forced to change tbeir style of pitching entirely. There are decidedly few players these days who hit the low balls and very few who cannot hit a high one. Most of the long hits made during a season are on balls that are pitched above the waist Not only Is It easier to follow the course of a ball which is pitched on about a level with the waist Une, but the swing in most instances is more natural.

Unusual Incident.

It isn’t often that five ball players reach first in one inning without a member of the quintet eventually reaching the plate. This happened in a New York-Bt. Louis -game. The first five men on—Daniels, Wolter. Hartsell. Cree and Knight—all reached first, but Wolter was nailed stretching a single, Daniels was shot down at the plate and Chase passed away on a fly with the haaea fell.

Christy Mathewson.

Mathewson without comment. The papers contained a lot of “good-bye” literature, headed: “Matty’s career closing; he was a good old rtagon, but. he’s all in now.” Matty read the stuff carefully and then asked: “Where did you find this?" "In the New York Oamptararum.” “Yes?” replied Matty. “Of what year?”

STORIES DIAMOND

The slump of the Pirates has peeved Fred Clarke very much. Jim Delehanty of the Tigera has had the best season of his career at ..bat, Bob Harmon of the Cardinals is the life-saver of the Cardinals, as Mordecai Brown is for the Cubs. Roger Bresnahan says that he does not know whether he will be at the head of the Cardinals next year. Roger Bresnahan predicts that Hannon of the Cardinals will be the best pitcher in the game next year. > According to some one who has kept count, the Cubs have been ousted out of first place 10 distinct times this season. President Ban Johnson of the American league denies the lively ball of the early season has been replaced by a deader ball. / Nap Rucker used to bp a type sticker in Alpharetta, Ga„ before he was lured to the diamond by the promise of a big salary. ; Walsh is the third of a short but Illustrious line of no-hit pitchers tor the Sox. Jimmie Callahan and Frank Smith were the others. The Austin team of the Texas 7 league has broken all worldfe records tor consecutive victories, by winning twenty-four straight games. ' y Ten Million, the center fielder from toe Victoria team of the Northwestern league, secured by the Napa, is a son of Judge Million* of Seattle. FJrst Baseman Baker, sent to* Brockton by the Red Sox as part-pay for Henriksen and Lonergan, has been released by the New Englanders. President Dreyfuss of the Pirates is said to be a bidder for the Dea Moines club in the Western league, which he will use as a farm tor the Pirates. Catcher Mike Simon of the PlrafM. has been having a sad time o fit. His wife had Just recovered from a long illness when his baby took sick and died. fi,;.Ralph Mattie,, the Richmond Colts* bustling young left fielder, the youngster who is leading the Virginia league as a slugger, has been sold to Washington. Bradley Hogge, who has been with Haverhill, has returned to Boston, with an “e” added to his name since he has been, sojourning in the New England league. It develops that Chicago gets Zimmerman from Atlanta in exchange tor Pitcher Foxen, who was sent to that club. So the Cubs may yet have something to shoe* for Luderua. Cincinnati after looking over Short stop Joe French of the Ashland-Cat tlesburg team concluded he was too small and he was sold by the Mountain States club to San Francisco. The Boston Nationals, it is sajd, will get Bill Schwarts, manager and first baseman of the Nashville team of the Southern league. Will he be a candidate with EUng and Donlin tor the Job of bossing the team? Pirate Steele’s feat in allowing but one hit in Brooklyn was a wonderful performance. He gave no bases on halls, but *8 men faced him; twenty sixth. who was Erwin, singled In the ninth and was the only man to reach first Too had Erwin got that wt ■ • •• -

ONE FLASH OF FORM

Brilliant Achievements Often Followed by Oblivion. Case of Altai Ball, Who Performed Re- / markable Feat of Triple Play Un- - I. Cited » On. Instance. risk about doing the sensatlonal in baseball. T Though it is the proper aim of every player in the game to do the unusual and remarkable, enough deadly instances could be furnished of notable achievement followed by oblivion to make the diamond workmen strive to keep out of the limelight all the time. A case is furnished in Neal Bali. Ball was idolized, but be did not lasL It is only a couple of years ago since Ball was the principal figure in a remarkable celebration on the Cleveland grounds, He had performed the remarkable feat of making a triple play unassisted. The town turned out to do him honor. A medal was presented to the shortstop on a day set apart as “Neal Ball day.” In the world’s series of 1906 the White Soy won becimae at timely stages Third Baseman Rohe, playing as a substitute for Tannehlll, let loose two triples. Chicago hailed Robe as one of the great men of baseball, but a year later found him playing third base on the New Orleans' team in the Southern league. Bil| Harris of Boston had the honor of pitching twenty-four tamings, the longest contest in the Mstory of baseball, In the memorable game in which Jack Coombs beat Boston in 1906. Bill. looked tike another phenom to take the place of Dinfeen, whom* he somewhat resembled In appearance and movements. Bui the twenty-four-in-ning game was the last Important piece of work to the credit of- Harris, and he shot back to the minors the next year. - * , Babe Adams climbed'the very summit of basebaU fame when he took three games from Detroit in 1908 and , won the world’s championship* for the Pirates. But Babe wa* far from being 'a notable performer last season. Covaleskie was another man who had a great fall. 1 The big Pole, who had been signed by the Phillies in 1907, only pitched a game or two mid was sent back to Lancaster to get a little more experienos. He/ came to the Phillies at the end of the year while New York was making its terrific battle tor the National league pennant. The large number of games the Phillies had to play the Giants In the closing days of (he session put them in a position to decide whether or not the pennant should go to New York. After Corrldon and McQuillan had mysteriously fal*ed to show their usual effectiveness against New York, Covaleskie was tried en a chance. He pitched amazing ball and beat the Giants three times in a series, thereby putting them out of the race.

ODDITY IN BASEBALL SHIFTS

Germany Bchaefer and Jim Delehanty Traded Jobs as Second Basemen Now Play First Crack first basemen are mighty, scarce, so scarce in fact that two clubs played second basemen on the initial sacks during the greater part of the season. Peculiarly, the two second basemen thus transferred • figured in a deal two years ago, Jim Delehanty being traded by Washington, to De? troit for Germany Schaefer, and Red Kinifer. Now Germany is playing the first cushion for toe Nationals, while

Germany Schaefer.

/ ' >•*:,■ cjjfc Del took Gainer's place tor the Tiger*. Other men In the big leagues playing first that started elsewhere are George Stovall of the Naps. Frank Chance of the Cuba. Fred Tenney at the Boston Rustlers, and Jake Daubert of the Brooklyn*. Chance and Tenney were catchers. Stovall and Daubert pitchers. Won a Double-Header. ;? Rube Waddell pitched a er for Minneapolis at Loularllle and won both games.