New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-12
a Loaiman and an honest boy. He had been in
the couutry- only about II months.
WHO Is THE ACCUSED,

Michael WOgan, Jr., was enpioyed IN the cooperage
ofMr Baker No 275 Front street at the time be wa,
arrested Tor setting FIRE TO the wholesale lquorstore Of
VIM. = Bearrs, Nos 272 and IA Front street. The
key of The cooperaCe was kept nj Swans porter house
WI ere Wocan could get it at any time From the
ccoperapc ard the Of most Of the buildings on the
block could be reached Within aperod Of nine weeks
four fires hal occurred Sundays this block
These fires occurred under circumstances which rem
der.d certain that they were the wGk Of an incen
diary. For tie last fire Wogan arrested, tried
aud convicted of in the fourth degree. Judge
Russell however, suspended sentence. anu allowed the
prisoner TO 90 at large.
II NAV be interesting TO refer TO the fires which have
occurred on this block. On sunday Sept. 10, 1854 at
: D. H., fire broke out in the storage store of VIM
Merle, at No. 297 Water street, involving loss Of
s975 April IS, 1856, at l5 p m, the same store
occupied by Thornton Major, took fire. but, being
promptly discovered, only one bale of cotton lost
Sunday, Dec. H. 1876, at l:3O p. m, No. 295 Water
street, occupied by T. jackson as rag warehouse,
was fired, and the damage amounted to Si60. Sun
day Dec. 81, at 3f5 p. m No. 297 Water street,
cupied by Thornton Major, was fired, and the loss
amounted to 1851. On Sunday, Jan. Is, 1857, No.
2s7 Water street, occupied by Thornton Major was
fred at p. M. and damaged $500. While these
fires were occurring in Water street, the premises in
Front street, directly i'll the rear also suffered. On
the Goth Of February 1856 the bodybuilding estsb-
lishment of Newman & Randall No. 275 Front street
was set on fire, resulting in a loss of 1916. On
Sunday February 90, 1857 the wholesale liquor-store
of VIM. F. Bearns Noe. ~ and pa Front street. 81
a N. Being discovered the loss was slight. For
this last ncendiary ac Wogan arrested tried and
convicted, as already stated. He was q runner to No.
Engine Company, and at night fires in this vicinity
enabled the company which he ran with to be the first
on the spot. They wondered before his arrest, how
he could manage TO find out these fires early; then
il was explained
Under these circumstances is very surprising that
the cuprt should escape the consequences of his crime.
The Court had the power to sentence to the State
Prison for two to seven years, year in the Peni
Tertiary suspend sentence. Wogans father being
friend of the late Mayor got up petition to the Court
representing that he petitioners have learned with pain
and surprise Of the conviction OF Michael Wogan, jr,
fhe ofense of arson in the fourth degree. That the
said WOgan is young man ofintegrty and reproach
able character and that his father late member Of
"the Police is now deprived of employment, and that
" his family is at the present time mainly dependent
"upon the earnings OF said Michael Wogan r for sup
port" Wherefore they prayed for suspension Of
sentence This petition signed by ID. +. Sckles,
James r. Brady, Richard Busteed, Charles Devlin,
Florence Mccarthy, Thomas Kvin, John b. lIsskin,
VIM. NJ Tweed, George G. Barnard, w. X. Beebe,
Jacob +. Oakley Geo. H. Purser, w. A. Brush and
Benjamin Galbraith. Captain Waling and the Fourth
Ward Police, in consideration of Wogan's services in
istng them to ferret out thieves also Joined in ask
ing for q suspension Of sentence.
In opposition to this petition the property owners in
andy ote ad in
the shape of afidavs, setting forth that they had
reason to believe that Wogan privy to the hume
rous ncendary attempts upon their property and tho
stores of their neghbors and that he at large
they would not feel safe. They urged that in space
Of nine weeks four fires had taken place in the day
tme-on Sundays, ON premises contiguous, and from
the time of Wogans arrest till his conviction, apcrod
of seven months, they had been entirely exempt from
confagraton. The names signed those OF Chas.
NJ Davidson, Thornton g. Major, WIN. f. Bearns,
John w. Avery, and John T. Agnew, occupying stores
Nos 26i 26G 2GS 30 pa and 2Sl Front street, aud
Nos 2S6, 900 29l 29j, 297 and 800 Water street.
Politics outweighed property, and Wogan was re-
leased.
Just one month after his release FIRE occurred in
the stable No. SO James street, burning up twelve
horses and destroying property to the value of $4,000
Policeman Quick of the Fourth Ward testfes that
fifteen minutes before this fire broke out, he Wo
gan 90 into the alley adjoining the stable, and was
waiting for him, when he came out, and that he, OBJ.
serving the officer walked toward him and said that
he thought something wrong was going on. BY
wel-deyised story of attempted burglary in James
slip he then induced the officer to go down the street
with him. In q few minutes aferward the fire broke
out i'll the stable from which Wogan came. An elderly
woman who slept overhead, narrowly escaped with
her life the officers having to break through upper
window and take her out. Nothing further came of
the matter.
On the 18th of November Wogan indicted,
Jointly with John and William Wogan, for assault upon
Patrick McManus with intent to kill. That indictment
has not yet been tried, Wogan being under bonds to
appear.
In December he was the principal witness in case.
before Recorder Smith, against man charged with
grand larceny; but the counsel for defense objected to
his evidence the ground that he was under indict
ment for felony and the Court sustained the objection
Wogan held Deputy-Sheriff's warrant until
Wednesday last and under the plea of preserving the
peace was said to be in the habit Of breaking it and
the heads Of his fellow citizens in the Fourth Ward on
every convenient occasion.