The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-03
SET ON FIRE.
Cowardly Attempt to Burn Mrs.
Moulton's House.
THE LADY'S STATEMENT
She Knows the lncend'ay but Will Not
Give His Name.

last Thursday by Captain Mount, OF the Nineteenth
prcc net. Tho records OF the case were brief and
apparently unimportsut, but on investigation deep
laid scheme 10 the residence OF wealthy lady
ives made manifest
IL appears that Mrs Moulton has been an invalid
for some months past, aud has been confined 10 her
room IN consequence. she resides elegant
MANSION No. 25 West Finy-hfth street, furnished re-
gardess She Ii reported 10 BIO very wealthy,
and Is living In luxurious style. She 10 the wife oil
Gilman s. Moulton, OF West Randolph, VI, a d.
rector OF tho Manhattan Beach Company. owing to
lncompatbility OF temper aud habits no has been
peparsed from his wife Of late years. bot he neverthe
i,ess has continued TO regard her with the
strongest feelings OF attachment. Mrs Noulton
= the daughter OF John Grgg, oil tho
arm OF Grigg Elliott tho millionaire book puo
fishers OF Philadelphia. She was married when quite
youux to brother OF General Robert Lee. Al this
lime she had inherited large fortune by the death of
Der ia,her and sister Her hrst husband, Mr. Lee
shortly after his marriage tell into bad health and
was a con nrmed invalid for many years, until death
ended his suneriugs. By this marriage son
born 10 her, who 10 eighteen years OF age She
was devotsdly Attached 10 her husband aud his DEATH
which occurred in 1865, severe brow TO her
Shortly she went TO Europe and took up her
residence Paris, where she lived in great splendor
Alter becoming period had elapsed the young and
handsome widow entered into the refined society OF
the gay capital
SECOND MARRIAGE
II was during her sojourn III Paris that she re-
pewed the acquaintance Of Mr. Moulton, her present
husband, whom sue had known in former years, and
they O nay became man ana WIFE, IL appears, how
aver that their and ambitions dssimi lar
He given 10 financial speculaiions and ambitious
projects which clasned with her quiet bottoms
or domestic life. She enaeavered 10 restrain
him In nis, business enterprises, which she apprs
hended might terminate IN ruin. but he was ardent
ana impstuous. aud would brook no d,ctaton or in
reference These leading differences OF opinion at last
led TO separation, and she returned TO this city
and took up her residences in the mansion which
she has since made her nome During late years she
has led a solitary lilo and has complained to her
trends that existence had lost Its charms for her.
She s refused to be reconc'lsd TO her husband, Who
u IS alleged made overtures OF peace to hor
She concluded 10 dispose OF her property and
return 10 Paris, hut hor projects Tell through
s6s sued for divorce through her counsel, John II.
Bird, but as tho proceedings were under way
She She has lately been attending a conciavs
Of The heirs oil the Arlington estate
sr,y through her 6rss marriage with General Lees
bother, enc was called upon 10 put In per
,Sna as1So0 aSs rrop waS
was under consideration. On her return to this
CRY IRON Washington this summer she made
nsr v"luabics and furniture Tor sale Keeping About
$1,000 worth OF rich lace curtains were slowed IN the
front basement, The basement being on q level
with the sidewalk. the keys OF the var-
Gus rooms were kept 10 her own private
TO the country, when she was taken suddenly
H. she attended through her sickness by DR..
Charles McBuruey, OF NO. 46 East Tbirtietn street.
SETTING TO THE HOUSE,.
This was the position Of affairs on last Thursday
Inquired OF me cook who .aswor.d the call,
that :. ns ID. ssrsad.s wsrs wl's shd hat 70 such
he then took his departure. shortly a.erward,
ten r. M Officer P6iIps, Of the Ninseenth precinct,
riay.si,S a: Street :. whoa his a.'sa.on was a.
trscsed BY glare in tho direction
a stable Dy n. kemp John Hun Mr. Robert Bon
nsr's sisbeman, aud Patrlck Gray, sable boy also
named went IN the direc.,on OF she flame, when
II was discovered tina! ne nre was 10.
Gated on the premises No. % ws s.. p1ai,a a
had discovered lhsdro and no promptly went 10
. .. s... sss Hun q E :s.
satog It's way Inward and had got1sSsxsnd AS Efforts
10 keep IL under control He aesSfdi1siy rang tho
wsIl.dressed cnizen standing on tho sidewalk,
supposedly viewing tho progress Of the flames He
was q thick set wall-dressed man, and
saw II uf look at him with he walked rap
IDLY away and then broke into lively run He soon
disappeared from sight and mas not turned up SINCE
Pailsiui OF water brought from the house and
adjoining stables and thrown on the flames, and in
this way The IRE was extinguished
MYSTERIOUS SPECTATOR
Odicer Phillips, who In the meantime had arrived
snd lent helping hand to put out yhc fire, reported
the case as follows 10 the Ninsteonth prscinct:--
When he fret saw the hight no thought that Mr..
xs1'' GU, stables U s .s"n on with n' Mr. M%p
Tue officer soon ascertained, however, that
Mrs. n' Msa i S house There was quite COM
motion outside, and q crowd OF people had
ssnGrga'ss Attracted .a,v oy 'ns nsn ana,, Mrs
tue sioop and were In great state Of agitation.
~ the ard OF the s,ablemen and spectators water
we're extinguishsd In dong SO the shutters
were torn or tDcir hinges and demolished.
There were three rooms In tho basement,
two on the interior. opening from tho passagewsy
into the basement room where the valuable curtains
were stored, and IRON the sidewalk these doors
were securely lock Mrs. Moulton held tho keys
in ner possession The o1cer essayed to open these
He next procured inc keys, opened the DOORS and
ascerlsiped that the IRE had not penetrated 10 tho
Kerosene dropped from tho WIDOW sill into the floor.
The ofosr made thorough search. bat found neither
lamp nor matches TO account Tor tho odor of kero-
seps.
Al the request OF Mrs. Moulton the officer went up
stn,rs her room, where lie found that lady recned
on her he'd attended by nurse. She sad that she
suspected mat s The ore son was nos me rssp.
work OF an incendiary and that the guilty party
vas a neishbpr. Hc lived, she said, 10 the same
street, not many houses distant She refused to
name suspected person, but maintained that she
hsa good grounds for her suspicious She refused To
report The Gaze at the station, as she said she had
special important reasons for no, wishing 1t made
puba She intended to consult her lawyer before
taking any definite stops in The matter. The officer
concludes hts report uy saying, ~ have made
a careful examination ana am convinced
3 that the window Of the bssemen. was
broken from tho outside, where kerosene was
found on the wooden shutters aud touched
ID a match. To-day again VISITED Mrs Mouton's
house and confirmed my opinion that the IRE was Of
incendisry origin saw Mrs. Moulton ngain
snd she repeated that q person who dad
not i've far IRON her house had Get Gre
her basement. She added that n previous
ssiou he had injured her ard mad sndeayored to
bIaoken her character. she did not name any motive
for such behaviour again suggested the necessity
OF procuring the services OF detective but she
Cned 10 do any thing unt she had consulted her law
yer. She had full faith In her COOK aud chamber
maid. She complaned OF her nurse because she be-
n.ne nanaaa &iNf~ AA In
butchcrs book n table In the back Kitchen, aud
after the excitement was over the money
missing A Dsrefootcd boy, who volunteered to
carry water 10 exiuguish the nre, is suspected"
ruE POLICE BAFFLgD.
Captain Mount said that hc had authority TO
proceed with his Investigations lie was baed ia hts
epdeavor the retcence oil Mrs Moulton to discover
NV He mad n uDW or a in vaid