The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-07
ARSON IN BROOKLYN.
Arrest OF a Hopeful Trio of House Burn
ers-They Admit Having Burned One
Structure and Are Suspected of q Series

Arrest OF a Hopeful Trio of House Burn
ers-They Admit Having Burned One
Structure and Are Suspected of Series
of Similar Crimes.
''when rogues fall out" &C., the old axiom, has
been verified with regard to trio OF alleged house
burners in Brooklyn. David Dowd, young man,
of rather questionable repute according to report,
charged Irving Smith with having stolen breast
pin from him. Detective Corr, of the Fourth pre-
cinct arrested Smith, at which the latter grew re-
vengeful and turned upon the complainant his
former comrade in crime. He stated to the de-
tective that DOwd ana one Eugene Small had been
the incendiaries who fired the barn belOnging to
Mr.. Ellis ON Dodworth street, the night before
election, November last. The loss Occasioned
was upwards OF three thousand dollars.
He also said that Dowd had admitted to
him that he had been engaged In burning several
structures. Among others was the building No.
zoos Lafayette avenue, and also one In the street
where Dowd lives, near Bushwick avenue; one in
Hart street, near Broadway. Yesterday the pris-
oners were taken before Chief OF Police Campbell,
at headquarters where Dowd acknowledged that
he had set fire to the stable in question, but denied
any further participation In acts OF incendarism.
when asked by the Chief
WHAT HE EXPECTED TO GAIN
by setting fire to the barn, he said that there was
should blow that way the buildings would catch
fire. when they could rob the domiclIes. number
OF lncendiary fires occurred in Brooklyn and In enc
suburbs IN November last, and the Board OF Police
oiered reward OF $3.50 for the apprehension OF
FIRE Marshal Ready declared the fires that oc-
Cured at the following localities In that month to
have been oil incendiary origin :-f31 Hart street,
500 broadway, 10 Dodworth street, North Filth
street. near Fourth avenue zoos Lafayette avenue,
30 Monteth street. Isl Douglas street, sos Broad
way, AIS Baltic street, Bushwick avenue, corner OF
Monroe street. Proofs most positive were found
as to the origin Of these burnngs. In several
the blinds were taken of the hinges. aud the
wooden gates OF the front railing to kindle the
nres.
The Fire Marshal took the affidavlts OF the prs-
oners. The most interesting is that OF Eugene
Small, who testihes that he resided at 525 Fulton
street. lie said remember that the stable Of
Mr.. Ellis was set on fire the night before election;
Dowd came TO my house on DE kalb avenue about
ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRE,
ana n said v "ast US come on out and get "a specR
at hall-past nine up Broadway, and l got some
matches in the liquor store, corner OF De Kalb
Broadway to Myrtle avenue, and after that we
went to the stable on Dodworth street. Dowd
up on ,s and SAID TO
get In here; let us look around and find some
DOORS" He then pulled open door, went up
ladder aud set the place on fire. lie then came
''Irs FIRE NOW; LET'S COZ
This was about eleven O'Clock. We then ran
away up Broadway 10 Greene avenue and thence
to Stuyvesant, to De Kalb and back to the Are
again. asked him to come up TO help to put tine
nre cut, and he did 80. got on top OF the stable
and poured pals Of water on it, and he was on top
OF another stable with hose In his hand. Then
we went up Dodworth street to Broadway. He
said to me, 81 wish the wind blew this way so as
to catch the building on fire." We then went
home.
TIE NEXT BURNING
The next fire he made was under stoop In La
fayette avenue, No. ZOOS. He came around the
next day and said, "Dd you hear about the nief'
Ircpiied, eyes. You did not have anything TO do
with it'' He said, eyes, did. Myself and two
c0ored men went to Pliers grocery store and got
hay and put that under the stoop, then took on
the blinds and the wooden gate and put them I'M
der tie stooP. too, and set all on fire." think he
said they took up the wooden grating too. lie said
the negroes got q hold OF him and made him run
away with them, so that he would not tell on them
lie asked me several times to go to the house with
him TO set 1t on fire. He said we could
GET IN THROUGH THE WINDOW.
He said he had hand In the fire near the brewery,
opposite his house. He was to party one night,
corner OF Hart street and Broadway, ana saw fire
in Hart street; that he got two gold watches, and
was damn fool for not keeping them. While in
the station house last night he was calling to me
not to go back on him. He wanted me to turn over
again and
After the fie IN the stable Dowd told me- Of plot