The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-01
WHOLESALE .INCRNDARIISSAN.
George Clarke's Charges Against
His Tenants.
"THEY BURN MY PROPERTY"
Over Seventy Thousand Dollars Worth
Destroyed by Fire.
THREATS AGAINST HIS LIFE.
Arrest OF an Alleged Accomplish in
This City.
THREATS AGAINST HIS LIFE.

Aa Sssest waS maoe yestoTony, WoaSn ~ Wv ~
active step toward The Outstanding OF an association
sfincondariss who have for i've years past laid waste
q portion OF the farest land Now York State and
the only colonial estate remaining enIirc within the
limits Of the State This association, 1t Is alleged, is
Identical with or part oi tho Montgomery Mutual
Tenants Society, an organization oil The tenants IN
Montgomery county who have made all tue anti
ron. troubles for which that county has boon famous
since lS46 The arrest was Of Charles Aoutanye,
member OF the society. who was bors and who grow
up In the nsghborhood OF Charleston Eour-Cor-
ners, New York, but who, two years ago. separated
from his wife aad children and TO
New York city, where he has remained siucs, boing
employ ed as 4 truck driver He was arrested on an
order granted by Judge Donohue in y suit Tor dam-
ages brought by George Clarke the OF the great
estate mentioned aud the sufferer by the organized
plan OF incendiarism. Bail bxsd IN tho Case at
$25 000, and Montanye, who was arrested ~ he was
driving out Of the Jersey City Jerry house, lodged
IN Ludlow Street jail is part Of tho Testimony
offered In the case that he has madc confessions
which will carry the case against him. and aas ad-
mittod that he mas knowledge sufficient to convict
number, II not 81, OF the other members OF the
society.
THE LANDLORD.
Mr. George Clarke, who WIS found last evening a.
the ONCE OF his COUNSEL Mr.. Horato X. Avsrili, Ia
tall. sturdy man OF fifty years OF age, with full
gray beard wich Is the only sign OF approaching age
visible In his appearance HIS face is determined
and his manner that which might naturally be cx-
pccted in a man who hao been constantly engaged
in strife since he came Of age, In lS43 He
is the largest land owner Is said, IN
New York, owning $4,000 acres in four
different counties, but in his dress and he Is
as simple aud unaffected tho poorest or his tenants
He talks unreservedy about tho case, betrays
he believes TO be the Initial In the nnal breaking
up OF the gang. He lives In magnificent man.
SION built by his father in Springfield. Otseeo county,
in 1885, ana beautifully locatod ON soma Of the finest
ground In the State, but the old Is only pro-
served so far Is ne finds 1t necessary preserve it
Tor his own simple uses, and the room in which his
father died forty years ago 10 never opened, and
netting bias boon touched IN IL since the death.
Mr. cLARKx's STORY.
~ was taken into court soon came OF age"
he said, ''bstng sued BY the state OF Now York on
the question OF my title the Clarke estate, aud
have been court sver since The ant-rent troubles,
but It is only within few years that they have
sumed tho shape Of incendiarism. since that time
81 my properly fully $4,000. BY burning over
$40 00O and II the indrect loss OF grounos
$l5O000, more. Besides this have been repeatedly
threatened with assassination, ami have believed
probable mat an attempt would be made to execute
these threats
"Do you 20 srmsdp" asked the reporter.
"Armed! No. l would rather have my brains
than any weapon. ! wsuld not hesitate to go in
among the gang, for never saw tho yet that
couldn't got away from or get away VITA"
diaries? Viii you pu, them In State Drison?"
No; stat. PRISON Is good enough thing for
intelligence Is 70 draw on his wallet Take his sap.
Tve brought civil suit against This Montanys from
whom 40 MOI ,s, sxpsss ,E recover :ny'nnE but
have properly and from whom can recover will
gam my point"
souniy?"
swell, aon't Know; Ny tenants say there is Il 900
acres oil It. But IN tho Mohawk Valley l owl -FOUR
miles along tue river aud mile back hills on
either side. Then own good deal IN Oneda and
Du. CHESS counties, ADD little IN Saratoga, but not
enough 10 speak about"
chow much IN air"
81 don't Know no said, hesitating; then, laugh
IRON Rome to Poughkeepsie. offered 81. 900 reward
four years ago Tor Information that would lead
detection OF the iucendiaries, he added, fsand II
Mon,anye will give mo me Information he viii get
The mouoy. dou't care anything about punisning
him."
ABSTRACT OF TUE AEyIDAura
In the yoiumlnous papers which are flcd In the
case MIR. George Clarke makes a1idavit TO tho story
in detail. What he says Is IN substance follows,
the legal phrassology being omitted:-
am the plaintiff IN this action. reside SPRING
field, otssso county, n. Y: Montanys y engaged 10
large tracts OF land Charleston Four Corners,
MONTGOMERY county, and large tracts In other
w.~s r.r,iv inhor,,sJ ana nr,iv n",,hasss
weis psIW inpe'uso auu parry Purcpaseo
aud the rents make Tor mo large income. hon.anye
ana father his grandatI err nave been tenants
Of mine Of my tstner since $780, Montanye having
been bora on one Of my farms and naviug married
ss,.. ,a.M.rs 49,, ~a'.,.s chs.,.s,y.s T,,
1ut wuo "scrwAIu Hcpt hotei ~ ehar'eston r our
Corners Monanye was az ono time barkeeper Tor
this Smith Lutusrs, but IN September, 1876, no was
separated iron hts wife and family and came TO New
York, and bias since lived here this Vicinity.
THE rRovALE BEGINS.
SEVERN yes's ago sue leases unoer WHICH Tue iaI
IN Tue noghpornoea o. charleston Four CORNERS haa
been originally rented began 10 expire and new lesses
were made out About 1873 4 began TO ave trouble
with nv tsnanta particularly about this place and
ain Ice then urea, number of nv uarns on tpuilanYs
80, $500 - ~ 49,. y, ny vas., 49,.
and otherw,se des,royed from time 10 limo TO he
amount of $40 OOO In January 1874 there
began TO appear In various Newspapers IN
Montgomery county espcc,aily In the Nontgomery
County Repubcdn articles Of an nespdisry err
One vi these articles IL pssdsd ..Apt.Rcutcrs at
Worku and g,vss the "a of two nres on the
p,abt OF Dcc,m osr 20 lS73 when Two uarus a house
ana n WOOD an d ware set on Are On the nj, M of