The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-03
THE nEwBURxPORT FIRE-BUG.

InCen0lAFy OA EAtS 1AESS ~0PANASN
"A wealthy Man with n Passion for
Burning Houses.
From the Milwaukee WISCONSIN.
On Sunday Capt. w. II. Fits, of the
noIice force Of Newburyport, Mass,
BASED through this city, having in
Charge q prisoner named Leonard
Choate, whom he was taking home.
| Choate was arrested about fifty miles
north Of Minneapolis, in Minnesota,
and his history is one of the most sim
gular that was ever written. If written
Ont in full it would make novel of no
mean size, and certainly of most SEN
sational character. The details of this
history we have from Capt. Fits. The
mr. isoner Choate, is a man about thirty
| i've years OF age, and Is native of
| Newburyport. His father was, before
his DEATH largely engaged In ship
building, and the family was wealthy
and highly connected. AS a boy the
prisoner was not smart, and although
he worked in his fathers establish
| ment, he was very poor workman
and was allowed to have his way in al
most every particular. He is an inof-
fensiVe looking man-one of those who
make few acquaintances. He had few,
although known by every person in
| Newburyport. He was respected by
all, on account of his family-was new
er until lately, believed, to be in any
Way vicious, and even now the fact of
crime being charged upon him, will
create a wide spread sensation at home.
To give the sketch we are now wri.
ting, it will be necessary to glance at
| the CITY of Newburyport. Some twenty
years ago that quiet town commenced
to have incendiaryI fires. They COM
menced with wooden buildings, old and
unoccupied, and barns. The fires were
usually set by placing a burning can
die In a barrel of shavings. The can
die would burn down to the shavings
about midnight, and then the fire would
take place. The winter referred to,
there were several such fires, and there
was much wonder who the incendtary
could be.
In the winter of 1861 church was
burned in Newburyport. This created
some wonder, but it was considered that
| the fire was caused by carelessness on
the part of the sexton. Other buildings
were burned during the winter, and it
was understood that the "old man, as
the unknown incendiary was called,
was about.
In 1862 another church was burned,
and few nights after a third was set
on fire, but extinguished. Then the
staid and quiet people of the venerable
old town of Newburyport began to get
excited, and as the days went by and
fires became frequent, and were not
| buildings, but extended to manufactur-
ing establishments, houses, and stores,
and even hotels, that excitement grew
intense. There were no fires In the
summer, but each winter meetings
were held. The police endeavored in
every way possible to find the cold
man." but they were unsuccessful, and
the fires continued. The Mayor, the
city authorities and the police offered
| rewards for evidence sufficient to con-
vict an incendiary, and the citizens
added to these rewards until the sum of
$40, 600 was offered, and as the excite
ment went on, this sum was offered for
man with q peculiar wooden box.
| This box will be explained below.
Each winter the number of fires that
were known to be the work of inCen-
diarism increased. In the two years
from November 20, 1867, to January
last, there were twenty-one fires belieV-
ed to have been set by the same person.
All these fires were SGT in one way.
A rough wooden box. always twelve by
four inches, was made, and contained
in tho bottom shavings saturated with
kerosene in large quantities. In a
block a candle was fixed, about five
| inches in length. The box would be
| left In or about building that was to
be burned. in the early part ofthe even
| ing. By IL o'clock at night the candle
would burn down to the shavings, set
them on fire, and the building would
90, Capt, Fits has no less than nine of
these boxes in his possession. Some of
them are not burned in the least, others
are partially consumed, and all show
conclusively that they were made by
| the same bungling hand, and with the
same bungling tools.
At the end Of each winter the police
authorities of Newburyport have re-
ceiyed an anonymous letter, detailing
| in full the particulars of every fire and
telling how they were set. In every
case circumstances have cOrroberated
the matter contained in the letter.
Some of them said the fires were done
to awaken the sleepy old town, and
others that they were done for amuse-
ment. Even with these letters, the
boxes found, and the aid of many
special policemen, the authorities were
for years unable to obtain clue to the
mystery, and the "old man" became
great bugbear to Newburyport.
About the first OF pecember-ahout
pioions directed to the prisoner refer
red to above, Leonard Choate. He was
q man we'll off, and the last man one
would suppose would be engaged in
such work. Detectives on the track of
the man for few days gave up, and
declared they were on the wrong track,
but the captain, with Yankee pluck,
determined to see it to the end, and
watched himself. The result so far ex-
ceeded his expectations that he had al
ready made up his mind to arrest
Choate, when that worthy suddenly
| left Newburyport for parts unknown.
Fourteen years ago he went up into
| Minnesota, and pre-. empted one hun
bred and sixty acres Of land, and know
| ing this, the officer soon decided which
was his way to travel. By intercepting
correspondence, Choate was found on
his farm at Lilly Pond, Wright county.
and was soon in irons and on his way
back to Massachusetts.
At Lilly Pond Choate had taken
contract for getting out railroad ties,
and was busily engaged In the work
when found. Upon being arrested, he
asked what it was for, and when the
officer proposed to read him the war
rant, Choate said, ooh, no, never mind;
l will go with you"
We are not at liberty to give the evil
denCe which Capt. Fits has accumu'
lated against Choate, It is sufficient to
saw that it leaves no question whatever
of his guilt, and that he has burned
three churches, and attempted the de-
struction of two more, one hotel, sew
| eral manufacturing establishments and
houses, stores and barns, numbering
over one hundred.
Why he did it is the greatest mystery
of3all. Choate was we'll of and there is
no evidence whatever ofrObbery. More
than this a mandatory left by his faith
er he burned. after it was sold, but be-
| fore the papers were delivered, thus In
| ficting q severe loss upon himself.
More, he burned over $50 900 worth OF
property belonging to his father, and a
portion of which would have fallen to
| him He also burned much property