The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-09-19
A MORRISTOWN FIRE-BUG.
ONE HUNDRED IND TWENTY rE-iRs
IN THE TRENTON PRISON.

port Fire Bug las been ou.done. The mystery q
lie numerous fires in our ii,te city has az last been
unrave.cd. About two years ago Gibson Kent ap.
reared in the town and announced Ills intention Of
settling permanently. This Kent, "a was altcrward
asccrtsiuod had been ostraci4ed from Chatham town.
slip Tor keeping disordory house. lie seemed to
have abundance Of money, and after his arri
val applied for a liquor Dealers license and
fused Becoming better acquainted with Morr.sto
politics aud morality, however, he opened n saloon
without license just opposite the engine use Of
WASHINGTON Company No. I, which bore the roputa-
ton being
THE nowDY COMPANY OF TIE rowN.
He soon insinuated himself into tic good Craccs
Of the reckless members Of tho Comuony by
tic aid OF numerous hbations ~ rec appelqck rnd
won Il, on them 20 In incredibly short time that
they ominatcd him to be their foreman year DO
'orc their thcn forcman's time had expired But
Chiof Er-inccr stikcs refused to send his name 10
the Couacil on TIE Plea that lie was notorious
drunl1gd, and their wcll-me1nt kindness fell to tho
ground.
Morrstown has suffered ecvcrcly for some time
froa rcerdary Grcs. Detached buildur' unoccu.
pied barns and small ou;-iousts were generally 80.
'cctCd, anil Saturday night Vas invariably chosen
for their burning. The police force consisted Of a
single uiau, wo, though lie ga Lie utmost to lorct
out tie criminals, vas entirely nccmuctcn,. lie
made several atrosts from tine TO time, but nothing
definite could 70 proved a-aiasi the prisoners anj
Ncy we're released. WHIT naton'sned everybody
was the fact that no motive could he assi-rcl for
he commission Of The deeds AMI II is trt just 20
the constable to say TIA. thu nsd os much 10 10 wth
throwing him OF The track as the apI aren't numbers
and ingenuity OF TIC incCnoisrics.
At length in June last, vlen fifteen fires, irvo'v-
Ing ll loss Of over tl5n CO.. footed no tho rccori
OF hnf a year. the citizens hoc1me thorough
aroused. Tlcy formed tioute'vcs into
4 VIGILANCE conWTTuB
with wntchworls, and one lundicd men armed 10
tAo toctn t-olcd the streets n.s't after night IN
hope Of catching the sccuudrols Tho darkness
favored their game, However, and III ttoir efforts
proved fruirc.s. Tho inceudnr..m continued. Tie
Common Council then convened a secret session
oud yo'el { go n fund TO 10 cxron'cd in tie
search Tor tie ircendiarlcs. They secured the ser
vices OF Mr.. John Mcpnvi't formerly Union scort
IN tie war Of the rcb llicn but, athou he worl.
eel diii.Cr'ly and with Skill. his business was too
well known and tie men be was alter were not en-
trapred.
1skinG this into consideration, the Conn on
Council agreed to emnoy keen city detective
whose character stou'd be kctt tioiourt secret.
lie quil It's entered the town ana 10 iel oouut
Trr rcsr rrsrrrvrurH tIAcrs
he coHd find iraioru'a rs Win tac'r den zars doing
a' tr' ti'. cru I.u.iu- bic uo. cv tl .r.'. .r't
o. with s.ch n,ti '0 u.s. 20 aiCH. -u-. ... o.. 20
TO- coon c'f Us war 's.i0rs tc D'"ano ass c,t.ol
with the Washington EH-uc toys uud was voted a
ro u t''W, "a. urd'r ..e trp5ot. on tLat e. Wa
~ t'cNgs 'nd De-. r-ycd as uie4s elves he was
Not in'. loNevcr was sail 70 him about iucen.
dHr -m. and lie Vas rc'ih ready io give mp In do.
-n IT, W.rn toward the laser cnd OF July three of
.' Win whom Doe Iad lro.u' most intimate.
ioy. Duus;er. aud Stevens. boldly uaie a
10 MN 10 JON l'.n 10 thc!r neat job.
...e', aug Nls i,ll oi ,. ,'ht. ne
wee TO- strike cni from iicir hitA,Eio beaten track
vi uuIAIn- oui buildings, and
PRE- TIE MOST rorrLors MOCK
a.. -..'.'
n we "n may c.''...lns We roy ot'e ne
.ty Fan p sS,,, "f vr .r r5...' ss,'-5....
,l. a-,. ,,it ,y,4 rr,t ,-., ia H.. MOI, ,r ~
r.i.r a ~ Of fleir va.nv and one ~ Tho ,,r. =.
'Dt, 49,, ,r,s A., rti,. 90 L., ,io % 49, I'm, ~ =
c.at.c ncg sparsr oArc v.5 20 frrni.1 H.. rc.,s.
sgry aver ard matefra; Lor,.""" vas 20 De .p0-
"r,rt'. ~ ~. .'..', r..l , . .y ', ''' I'VE
w.. te'li1r i'm u,tt lc ,,6u'i ., AMI ONT ,r n %
lax i,t h..r dnl ." N.i.,,r o. ,'i no i,'- al y
;frrl.o,ivc wa. IT, ausW.r.lr,.. being "tst
no. iil Do inst t,r nm '- '''
Trc,Ict,cIivs Was ss,ori.hel NJ lie surc,.s rbc
'"'Ne Ae" '4''''@"''d WIZ '' '"ahS
AND oF RbsiEcrAbLE Parents,
and the very worst that could be said AGAINST - On,
previously was tlat they were members OF WasT'
ne auti,ofI'tes and everything va arrir5eI 10 To
catch The miscreants IN the commission OF tner vii
&c d,,,ctive. met according % irrroirrnt in -
oHire OF tao prltsr The Navor % If, town Mr.
Halse. Who b IS au chlcc in TIC same buildnc. nc.
cortirr 20 agreement. aieo was csp,ol.cl .,in.
aud l-teuca 20 the scounlrtls M sing ready for
their work lie heard one say cot MONTY oi
pauer;" and another, " I've got the kerosene: he
lave NJ out VINO ne was coa.t not D. le4rnc J.
lue HC'eC,l'e, Ne"'.T PROOF positive OF TIER
c,lmmm,E' any ltslihE u, OBSTRUCTION o iLe fosi
once JOCK sh9un y once re Sc, on hrc hed nrevt'
"usy 'u.Cc-le' lh"' lh,! sN.ui ur~t t"uch on the
od AeAi'uS, IN i'ullssSI .Il uIu1 N1ne vance
away; am NuSn VIC c''i],Y7 were lu'lhs OUT Ne
| i.Ie me- Nuu'u ',uIn uhosstiNci ana hpniN vac
HiCu 70 rie ou-' uu''',,4-' iVo"tulus 20 Ne HIs'
lnlch" i"s "" Arro,H W, a"N ut ~ Alhs
,.HIc' ou' o' "i'e''"' 'Ou''' Va 'n'" mi'sl'h OF
cHnc'
They met nj the Academy and no time W-es lost In
bpuSiHg IN the cellar door and 'lrusuHs papeg
saturated vita Kerosene under %, raiders. match
WIS then gttcd. cnd was about 10 be applied 20 Tie
paper, when The detective uttered the signal, and
rufpTv ,purn c,-,,rvs
N'''"'N''
NJ. so "a s " , 1891 I''
alarmed c1n,pir.tlrs rushed ~ inc cellar strrs IN
ana instant hut Wece met ~ the billy Of the d,t..
live and Two Of trem Dun,fcr ana Doty. Nero ,ln.
turet, Litc" desperate etru -c'. An other escape
| IN tAa darkness, but n fourth da.hcl doNn ;
| si9 stree, wi' tar whole hal- ofcitzC1s IN nlr-
uit SIX shots were Cred 90 D.. n aGi, after long
Dhau .,Wn tie iilc street hil, Ic Was c.ptu.eI D..
| VI ~i.l'cr, nm rN So1rcA nan, near tue Cuuicn OF