Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-07-05
RecoIIections Of the TimesOf
GDN. ANDREW JACKSON.
MO. -Four.
Trial of the Supposed
IncendiarieS.

IncendiarieS.
That the United States Treasu-
ry Building was sacrificed by the
hand of an incendiary, there could
be no doubt. When the flame
was first discovered, it was con-
fined to room in which there was
no other combustible than a single
desk and its contents; and these
had been ignited by applying a
slow match to the papers; and, If
any desire had existed on the
part of the discoverer, the building
might have been saved without
the smallest difficulty. No effort
was made to suppress the flames,
till it was too late to arrest their
progress. The building, with
most of its contents, was de-
stroyed, and party-the fell mon
ster and curse of all countries
reioiced over the desolation.
Congress took no efficient steps
to discover the incendiary; and
the whole affair was rapidly sink
ing into oblivion, when General
Jackson, whilst glancing at the
story, one day, said to a friend
that he would pay ten thousand
dollars if he could only detect the
wretch who committed the out
rage.
This remark was simply incl
dental and commonplace; but it
was repeated and reported abroad,
and finally, after General Jackson S
term had expired, reached the ears
of a man named Kelley, who had
occasionally ofliciated as a Deputy
United States Marshal in the
State of Ohio.
Kelley had spent the earlier
part of his life as a horsejockey,
gambler, and tavern-keeper, and,
in the way of business, had be-
come acquainted with the gangs
of counterfeiters and horse thieves
who lurk around the borders and
the shores of Lake Erie and Onta.
rio; and among them he had picked
up scoundrel named Hicks, a
fellow who had been a tenant OF
half The penitentiaries of the Un.
ion, and who always stood ready
to commit any crime for pay, that
lay anywhere in the range between
arson and murder.
To Hicks, Kelley communicated
what General Jackson had said;
and he speedily agreed to fasten
the crime of the firing of the
Treasury Building on two men of
the City of New York-the one
named Richard, and the ether
Henry White, who were brothers
and who had not, it afterwards ap
peared, always led lives OF the
strictest propriety.
Hicks was perfectly confdenf
that he could convict them, for he
said that he could produce wit
ness to establish their guilt. H'
had his men at hand, who woult
swear to anything and everything
that might be necessary to ac
complish Kelley's objects.
Hicks was at the time in tn
Penitentiary of Pennsylvania
charged with robbing a bank: but
SO important was his testimony t
the government, that at the in
stance of Mr.. Secretary Wood
bury, he was released, and re
turned to society to act the par
of informer and prosecutor, IN th
legal affair in question.
As soon az Hicks was at large
he came on to New York, an
caused the arrest of Henry White
who was keeping stable in tn
Bowery. Richard was not to b
found. He had migrated to tn
Western country, and no posltlv
. intelligence of him could be OF
tanned, till Kelley was one day II
. formed that he was in the Valle
of the Mississippi, and had bee
seen on board OF a New Orlean
/ steamer.
Accompanied by Hicks, ketlie e
started for New Orleans, where b
found a man that Hicks said We
named Richard White, althoug