The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-22
ALLEGED FIRE BUGS.
FOUR MEN CHARGED WITH SETTING FIRE TO
CROWDED TENEMENT HOUSE IN ORDER TO
GET SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS INSURANCE.

FOUR MEN CHARGED WITH SETTING FIRE TO A
CROWDED TENEMENT HOUSE IN ORDER TO
GET SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS INSURANCE.
Acase Of unusual interest was commenced yesterday
in Part Of the Court of General Sessions Judge Cow
ng presiding. and presents certain features rarely
developed in a court of justice. Abraham Perlstein
was jointly Indicted with Joseph Levy, Charles Bern
stein and David Freeman the charge of arson in
the first degree The first named prisoner, who 10
defended by Mr. Charles W. Brooke requested sepa-
rate trial. In his opening Assistant District At
torney Rollins briefly set forth the facts the prose-
cution intended to prove. On the night of the
10th of November last the premises No. II
Ludlow street. In which twentyfour families lived.
were discovered to be on fire. An alarm given
and the flames were speedily extinguished. These
the premises of Joseph Levy. of the code
PENDANTS. who, with his wife. occupied three rooms
on the third floor. Whoever" added Mr.. Rollins,
would deliberately fire to any part Of that build
ing committed as atrocious a crime as any man ever
committed" The prisoner and his two co-defend-
ants, not including Levy. long suspected of
being paid incendiaries. and of being what is known
as ''ire bugs"
Mr.. Brooke-I object to this. The Indictment is
for specific crime, and not for any conspiracy be-
tween the parties.
Mr. Rollins went on to say that the prosecution
pected to prove conspiracy among them and that
their business. For some reason the move
ments of Perlstein and his co-detendants had been
watched for days and days before the 10th of Nove-
Der. The theory OF the prosecution was that Perl
stein had done many similar acts before. Joseph
Levy was over-insured. He had lot of goods worth
perhaps $780, and he insured for $500. II was
desired by him that there should be fire and that he
could recover from the insurance company the full
amount for which he was insured. When the fire
should occur it not desirable that he should be
on hand but away somewhere else so that if accused
of 10 he hn 1hepp 1t
| time. The prosecution would show that the pris-
oner and his two co-defendarts excluding Levy
procured by him to set fire to the premises while he
| was not there
HOW THEY WE'RE TRACKED.
Attention having been called to the movements of
the defendant and his co-defendants on the day in
question: they seen to go to No. 81 East Broad
way the headquarters OF this band OF incendiaries.
They were being watched by an employee of the Fire
Marshals Office and one from engine house. The
| men were to take basket and demjohn mp
two flights of stairs to the third floor the premises
Ludlow street They were seen to unlock the door
| of Levy's premises-he and his wife having previ-
ously vacated thern-and go in there. man standing
below the street Perstein the prisoner at the
bar, whom he knew WELL from the open window pull
ing down the blinds. The person who was watching
| above stairs Immediately went to the neighborng
engine house and told them there would probably be
a fire on the third floor of No. IL Ludlow street.
The iiremen hitced up their horses and were ready
ten minutes in advance OF the alarm to put out the
fire. "This,' said Mr.. Rollins, lis drama for you
it would surprise you ii you saw ii on the stage.
The person who had been watching came down just
as he saw the smoke and knew there was fire.
What was discovered when the firemen burst into the
rooms?-three separate fires. kerosene oil spread
everywhere and indeed all the evidence of deyish
scheme These men met at midnight and went to the
| house of Perlstein and separated between and
| two O'Clock in the morning, their movements being
watched They arrested together at No. 62 East
Broadway, They denied that they knew each other or
had ever under any circumstances had any connection
relation with each other. and above all they denied
that they were at the premises OF Joseph Levy or
that you have, in the person of the prisoner OF
the worst criminals tina. stood at the bar OF