The Republican journal., 1869-03-25
The Newburyport Incendiary,

No topic has excited more lively interest
during the past two years than the matter of
the identity of the man who has created ter
ror IN the hearts OF the people of Newburyport
by his numerous acts Of incendiarism. The
public has from time to time learned through
the columns of the newspapers of fires in that
somewhat ancient city, and have been inform
ed OF the excitement that prevailed there. But
no one not resident can for a moment realize
the fearful state of terror and alarm into which
that community has been thrown by the unob-
structed and remorseless conduct of this flend
in applying the torch Fires We're so numer-
Gus that they were expected every night, and
no man could retire to rest without feeling a
probability that he would be aroused from
Slumber ere the morning daWned by the peal
ing notes of the alarm bells. Every one was
suspected and every one was under the sur
velance Of the police and of his neighbors
Sometimes the efforts of the F'fre bug" as he
came to be called We're futile, but his tracks
were apparent i'll the morning in the discovery
of his patent fire box, leaning against some
building which he sought to DESTROY. These
boxes were uniformly Of one size and shape
made OF the same wood, fastened with the
same nails, and constructed in an uniformly
bungling manner. In the boxes was a candle
few inches long set in a block of wood and
surrounded by shavings saturated with kero
sene oil. The candle would burn a certain
IL.
fore it fired the shayings. These implements
finally came 70 be looked for as regularly as
the morning REQUIRED. The people were in 4
state Of frenzy. The frebug' came and went
noiselessly as the shadow and secretly as a
dream, escaping all eyes that watched for him.
eluding all hands that tWitched in q nervous
desire to grasp him. citizen could not 90
abroad at night with bundle that he was not
followed, scrutinized, and in many cases, under
official authority, made to give an account of
himself. Rays from dark lanterns were sud
denly flashed IN the eyes of pedestrians by DO
licemen, who, with the illuminating apparatus
in one hand and revolver in the other, We're
impatient to explore and reveal the mystery.
To cross a mans garden, to scale fence, or to
be seen under any circumstances that were not
perfectly natural and quickly expanabe, after
dark, subjected one to the danger of a bullet
from the hands of house owners who came to
guard their property with Jealous clre. Men
who all their lives had borne irreproachable
characters, were regarded by their fellows with
suspicion, and watched with untirng vigilance
until their innocence was made apparent by the
occurrence of another fire which it was known
they could not have caused.
The Mayor and police authorities We're i'm
portuned in vain. They eXerted every faculty
and strained every nerve, but the 'ilre bug
ranged unharmed and unrestrained. A party
Of leading citizens formed themselves into a
secret vigilance committee, with the avoWed
purpose of unearthing the fellow if possible
Not wishing to act entirely on their own re-
sponsibity, they consulted the Mayor, and
advised him TO call into requistion the ser
vices of some detective more experienced, and,
as they hoped he would prove, more acute
than the very respectable but thus far unsuc-
cessful local authorities
Acting upon this advice Mayor Pierce, about
a wear since went to Boston and impored the
| Iu;o of antboritaC thprn JTnop tba
recommendation of Deputy Chief Savage, Mo
ses Sargent, formerly of the Boston detective
police force, but of late years private and in
dependent detective, was employed to investi-
gate the case, and itpossibie bring the offender
to Justice.
The facts above related are perhaps mostly
familiar with the public, and desiring if pos
sble to give our readers 4 more minute and
reliable account of what followed than has yet
been printed, we have consulted Well-knoWn
and responsible gentleman, who is 4 resident
of Newburyport, and has interested himself
particularly in the Investigations, which it is
believed have now been crowned with success,
and from him and in other ways we have learn
ed some matters which may be regarded by the
public with interest while the trial of the al
legged incendary is pending.
Detective Sargent, after looking the case
over and dgesting the tire-boxes on exhibition
at the City Marshars office in Newburyport,
together with all other matters bearing upon
the identity Of the culprit, which had at that
time been exhumed, and which, by the way,
were very few, formed his theory and set to
work in it's verihcation. Taking list Of all
parties on whom the slightest circumstances
had thrown suspicion, he and one OF his conf
dental assistants placed under surveillance each
and every one until they became satisfied OF their
innocence in turn. One very respectable gen
tleman was under espionage night and day lor
nearly the whole of the winter of lo6I-6o De-
fore suspicion was entirely diverted frolA nln'
This was not until the advent Of last spring,
when it was supposed the ''season" OF the n
cendiarv was over, as he had in years past op-
Grated exclusively in the winter season.
Finally, when last December came 1t was
assumed that the "hre season had arrived
again, and watch was set upon the party last
aIluded to. He had been under espionage from
the 22d of December until the 3lst, when Tap
pans barn was burned. 1t was then certain
| he did not do that job Of incendiarsm.
When news of this contlagration reached Mr..
Sargent he forthwith repaired to Newburyport