Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-30

I
MOBILE, ALA, December 29.-After long
| series OF fires of mysterious origin in Mobile,
three incendiaries have been arrested, one of
whom smes III. Camp-hss made confess
sion which is startling record of a series OF
crimes. Camp is boy of nineteen, slender,
with a pleasant face, and hitherto of good
| character. The plea of insanity is spoken of.
He burned a kitchen on his own place to
avert suspicion. Special malice seems TO
have prompted some acts, but generally it
was desire to see "partidge huiter," as he
called it; that lie, the excitement of seeing
his lightwood torch and other materials burn
successfully, The Register contains full
statement obtained from several of Camps
confidential friends, as follows;
"He lad attempted to set fire 10 fourteen
different bulldogs within the past elk
months, eight of which were burned to the
ground or totally destroyed. He related to
two of his friends that he had burned the
Broad street Baptist church, hoping that the
flames would spread to the fret building
south, occupied by Mrs. Margaret Rollins.
He set FIRE 10 the frame house occupied by
Mrs. Helen Hicollitch, which was totally
destroyed, and stated that his reason for SO
doing was that she refused to allow him to
visit her daughter. He confessed to having
set FIRE to the st. Joseph schoolhouse, which
was partly burned. The attempt TO burn the
residence of James Thompson, on the south
side of Spring Hill Shell road, second house
east of Hallett street, N ade some time since,
he confessed to have been his work. On last
Wednesday night he made a torch, which he
said he was going to apply for the second
time 10 the residence into which Mrs.
Nicollitch had moved after being burned
out and started from No. 9's engine
house to execute his design. He came back
and told his companions that he had
changed his tactics and had put ais combus-
tibles under the residence OF Mrs. Fannie
Osborne, on the Shell road, second house
west of Ann street, and touched il of. In
this attempt he failed to accomplish his pur.
pose, as the fire was discovered and extin-
guished before any damage was done. The
efficient and wide-awake officer (Mslone) in
that locality had his suspicious that Camp
was doing this work, and set about laying
a trap for him, so as to catch him In the act.
As stated in the last issue OF the Register
Officer Malone pretended to be a friend of
Camp. and thereby won his confidence. Camp
at last invited Malone 10 follow and see him
make ssthe partridge futter." The invitation
was Just what the officer had been working
for. and on Thursday night they started of
together. Camp first mentioned st. Mary's
church. on the corner of the Shell road and
! LAFAYETTE street, az the building to be fired.
Malone said mo, don't set that building on
FIRE, il is the Catholic church" Camps re-
Div was that he had Just as leave burn
Catholic church as Protestant church, that
there was no difference in them. But with
all this he was dissu AIDED from firing this
building. He next mentioned the residence |
of A. c. Pickens, on the north side Of Dau- |
pbin, 8. the head of Common street. He |
entered the yard, investigated the surround |
ings, and reported to Malone that was not |
The house 10 do his work. Camp went in the |
adjoining yard, occupied BY Mrs. Anna |
Wilson, and, after looking around, made the |
same report 10 his invited spectator. Alter |
making these two vain attempts, he went |
further down Dauphin, TO the southwest cor
ner of Broad street, 10 Nine. Lelcoup's resi-
ience. He here found The house bricked
rom the ground to the hsor, and returned
10 Officer Malone and said the partridge