Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-11-03
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
Who Did 1t?

ME:'Sit;i. EDITORS In your Issue Vi ldSC
evening in 4 communication on fire mat
tcrS, signed p. 5. Goodman, the following
occurs "1he editor of the INTELL1GEN-
GER says that members of my own COM
pany have been charged with incendiarism
on substantial evidence Who charged
them? Who furnished the evidence ::
Was it not the members Of the company
Shihlerl vino feIrctcd the case, who
forged link by link tho chain that could
bind them. and when they had gone as far
as was possible the police authorities in
stead of completing by their Indifference
allowed it to die out
This l have to say is not true. Mr..
Goodman's father was one Of the parties
who gave information to the police wLicl!
it was hoped would lead to the :;pprehen-
sion and conviction Of the iaccndiarics who
fired the buildings in the southern part of
the city in the spring and summer Of 1879,
but when the po!icn in pursuit Of parties
pointed out by Mr.. Goodman, sr., and
others, had made the arrests of seven or
eight, the witnesses placed upon the
stand, who befOrcssthe hearing seemed to
know great deal, knew nothing at all
of 4 character necessary to fis:cI the
crimes upon those charged. Mr.. Good.
man himself did not wish to go on the
stand aud did not. The parties were heard
before Alderman McConomy, all the wit
nesses that were supposed to be cognizant
of facts necessary to bind the parties over
to court were subpGnaed. When plac, d
Oh the stand under oath their memories
became blanks Those who had before
been reported as Knowing al about tie
inccnsiiarism OF those charged, knew moth
ing at all. 1t was reported at the time
that in some cases intimidation had been
resortcd to, but whether or not memory
was blank. The police were not neyli-
gent.
One cf the parties arrested on that o.
ca III who had partly turned state cvi-
dcncc, and who wanted to obtain the
promise of being allowed to go free, could
get mo such promise and is to this day Il
fugitive.
Mr.. Goodman further says, "that the
president of the Sun, but 4 month ago, by
4 fearless and prompt action on his part,
secured the resignation of its bad cle-
ment, etc." l fear that Mr.. Goodman
does not know what lie is talking about,
or has made up his mind to state things
very rcclslessly. The facts of that case are
these: Col. S. ii. Price had been for
a long time annoyed by the orgies
OF the sun house naU cOmplalnet L
believe to tho officers of that
company, but his complaints We're un-
heed,d. Mr.. Price then came to the sta
ton house and asked for police to suppress
the disorderly conduct in the engine
house and was furnished with five or six
officers to make arrests Of the parties i'm
piicatcd. Four Or five arrests were made,
and were to have hearing before the
mayor. Before the hearing came Off the
president Of the Sun company and think
Mr.. Price agreed that if these men arrest.
cd would resign and pay costs of suits they
would agree to drop any proceedings
against them, and requested the mayor so
to do. Now this is the sum total of the
fearless and prompt action Of the pres
idcnt OF the Sun.
Mr.. Goodman, jr.. can hear something
Of the water having been thrown over the
wood in the Sun engine fire-box at the re-
cent fire on East Grant street, Oct. "a last,
by iEquiring of the engineer of that com.
pany, and can judge accordingly how far
the ''bad element has been removed from,
the Sun. POLICE.