The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-11-29

There comes from Detroit a horrible
story of human depravity, which fully IL
lustrates how far avarice will lead some
men in the commission of terrible crimes.
A wretch named Henry Miller, who was
engaged, last August, in the furniture
business upon a small scale in Chicago,
took into his employ lad named Adolph
Dennis, about seventeen years OF age
BY injurious temptations thrown in the
way of the youth by the willy employer,
he was led into the sin of stealing some
money. Miller discovered the lad, and
by frequent threats to prosecute and dis
grace him, made Dennis plant tool in
his hands. The employer thus having
performed part of his plan, informed the
boy that he had bright scheme to make
money, and if he would do his share the
sum of nine hundred dollars should be
given him. Dennis agreed to do any
thing which would secure so large an a
mount Of money, and the base wretch,
Miller, proceeded to unravel his scheme.
A few trunks containing articles of little
or no value were to be shipped from Chi
cago to Cleveland A heavy insurance
was to be effected upon false representa-
tion upon the trunks, and when the boat
bearing them from Detroit to Cleveland
was in the middle of Lake Erie, it was to
have been fired in dozen places by the
boy, who was to take passage with the
goods. The trunks were obtained and
filled and an insurance of fifteen hundred
dollars was effected upon them from the
Western Insurance Company of Detroit.
In that city Miller and Dennis were to-
gether, and the latter got very much in
toxicated. On the 9th of September,
the boy took passage with the Trunks on
board the lake steamer Morning Star
He was drunk at the time, and did not
sober up till twelve o clock at night, when
he recollected the work he was to perform.
He had been furnished by Miller with
two bottles of benzine and parcel of old
rags with which to accomplish the hellish
task laid out. H. made number of in
effoctual efforts to fire the boat, and final
ly between three and four o'clock ia the
morning, succeeds in firing a wooden por.
ton in the afterhold After the flames
had made little headway Dennis return
ed to his berth and pretended to be as
leep. Accidentally soldier discovered
the fire, and sounded the alarm, and the
passengers, some two hundred in number
were called out of their hunks to prepare
for danger. Dennis, to avoid suspicion
helped to put out the flames, which wa,
accomplished before much damage was
done. The boy made no more attempts
to frc the boat and on hisarrival at Clevel
and, found himself penniless. BY steal
ing his passage on board chance train
and by walking, he succeeded in reach
ing Chicago. Detective Sutherland, o
that city, took him into his employ as ser
want, and lately the boy made clean con
lession of his attempted crime. Mille
was arrested in Buffalo and taken to De
troit for trial He is German. Hi
idea was that the boy would not escape
from the vessel if burned, and he alon,
would reap the reward of the terrible plot
We have never heard of darker crime
and if all that is alleged be true, we trus
stern and swift justice will be visited UP
on the guilty wretches engaged in it.