The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-09
r".Incendaartsm az n Trade.
THE SECRET OF MANY MYSTERIOUS FIRES-H
TORY OF ONE OF THE MEN WHO LIVE on r.
INSURANCE COMPANIES. ,..4

THE SECRET OF MANY MYSTERIOUS FIRES-HIS-
TORY OF ONE OF THE MEN WHO LIVE ON TIE
INSURANCE COMPANIES. ...
ENew York Sun, October Al <-
Anthony O. Jones alias "The Fire-bug"
was yesterday, through the persistency Of
his counsel, Mr.. John O. Mott, discharged
from confinement in. the Tombs by City
Judge Sutherland. Jenes was tried for
arson at the April term OF the General Ses-
sions, 1872, and was sentenced to three years
and six months in Sing-Sins. The facts as
developed are that Jones is Pole, who
speaks English, French, German, and Polish
with equal and complete tlllency. Five or SIX
wears ago be turned his attention TO fire in
surance as business. lie followed it there
after. His plan was to pick up an emigrant
family for whom he could appear in the
character Of an interpreter, and effect the
heaviest possible insurance upon the goods
and chattels of that family. How to manipu-
late the ordinary Insurance agent and pay
upon his anxiety TO make commissions on
premiums was well understood by Jones.
Given from 5000 to 800 worth Of household
furniture belonging to family who needed
his services as interpreter, Jones readily Sc
cured policies on the same TO tho amount OF
from two to five thousand dollars. y fire
with " total loss" was the natural sequence
in every case, and the friends and clients of
Jones invariably collected their insurance
money through him, taking only such Il
share Of it Is he saw proper to give them.
He was brought to grief because the most
elaborate preparations for burning 4 tcnc-
mcnt-No. Ill cast SiXty-sccond street
failed through the effectiveness Of a fuse or
matches. William Cie>ki and his wife Ur>ule.
| Polish immigrants. had lived in that house
| three or four months. and he had secured
| two policies OF insurance on their house
| hold furniture and some Shoemakcr's stock
and tools, payable to Mary Schcrman
| which name is i liberal translation into
German of the Polish UrSulc Cieski. Mrs
| Cieski had gone with him to the insurance
agents to get the policies, and was ready
| to be identified Is the person TO whom tho
| insurance money should be paid in case o.
| loss, 4 short time afterwards the Ciesk
family were temporarily dispersed, the chill
dren being sent to ROckland county, anC
the parents retiring to Jones's house, il
Jersey City, while their apartments were
apparently Theoretically sealed. The frs
night after the departure of the Ciesk
family the other occupants Of the tenement
were alarmed by q sutfocating stencil OIL
something burning, and an investigation
led to the breaking-in Of the Cieski doors
Three Of their rooms were Uttered with
rubbish that was saturated with petro-
Ieum. A half-burnt bunch Of matches neal
an old bed, loaded with inflammable ant
petroleum-soaked stuffS, was found, will
| other evidences of preparations for first
class fire. Prompt action saved the build
| ing. The next day Jones sauntered in to in
| unire of "the Shoemake" about pair o
| boots. His inquiries and movements iii
rected suspicion towards him, and he was
arrested the same day. Soon afterWart
| Cieski and his wife were arrested, and the.
saved themselves by turning States evl
dencc. They said that Jones had burnt then
ont four times during Il residence Of fOu
wears in this country. The first contlagra
lion was in Clinton street, and for $500 wortl
of furniture, then, the insurance cOmpanie
were made to pay $780, The Cieski domici
| WA. by advice of Jones, reCStablishcd il
| EliZabcthport, n. J. Burnt out there, Jonc
settled them in Elizabeth City, and the insll
rance men were there mulcted for abou
5000.
Williamsburg was pitched upon As tn
scene Of the next fire, and after Jones lla(
nettcd s15. 900 the quarters in SiNty-secont
street were taken, and, unfortunately fol
Jones, the fifth burning failed.
on the trial before Judge Bedford, Coun
sellor Mott made The point that there was III
evidence of IN attempt to detraud an insIl
rance company, because Mary Schermal
had no insurable interest in the goods cover
ed by the policy, and the policy Itself was
therefore void. he argued that valid pole!
OF insurance was necessary lncldenC u
such an indictment as that on which Jonc
was arraigucd. Judge Bedford overrued TIT
objection, and Mr. Mott carried the cast
to the Court of Appeals, where the doctrine
| he insisted upon was sustained, and new
Jones t was imprisoned in sing-sing, and the
Cieski family, upon whose testimony non o thu
prosecution depended, departed for part
Unknown. Four months were spent Ill
hunting for them without avail, and after
Jones had been kept in the Tombs as Ions
as it was possible to keep him there on the
pretence that he was to be retired, the dis
charge OF yesterday followed as matter o
| course,